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Thursday, March 28, 2024

How ‘digital Bangladesh’ has started online accountability of country’s parliamentarians

Rezwan |

Although Bangladesh is a populousĀ and formally democratic country, internet penetration remains low and many politicians and legislators do not use social media or other forms of instant online communication, making it difficult for common people to reach out to them.

A new platform containing all the information of the members of parliament and different means for communication with them is giving Bangladeshis the option of contacting their local elected representatives. Some lawmakers have already begunĀ responding to public queries.

A frequently used phrase in Bangladesh these days is ā€˜Digital Bangladeshā€™, which isĀ the ideaĀ that IT can be used in administration and governance to ensure transparency, accountability and answerability at all levels of society and state. Although there is visible progress in terms of Bangladesh’s digitization in other areas, many elected MPsĀ and government officials are still not using digital meansĀ to make themselves accountable toĀ common citizens. Read more:

Read more:Ā Bangladeshi lawyer challenges the countryā€™s constitutional provision on president appointing SC judges challenged in court

According to recent newsĀ reports, although many of the MPs have Facebook IDs or pages, they are not official, and are mostly run by fans. Only seven Facebook profiles and two Twitter accounts belonging toĀ MPs are verified. Most MPs therefore are not active on popularĀ social media platforms like Facebook or TwitterĀ while many citizens complain that MPs are not reachable via the official contact phone or email provided onĀ theĀ Bangladesh Parliament website.

ā€œSome years ago I went to the local MP’s house to discuss some issues in our neighborhood. He lives in the capital, nowhere near the electorate. It was already 10Ā am and I was told that he still was asleep. I waited for some time more but could not meet him.ā€ BloggerĀ Saifur R. MishuĀ writes:

ā€œI have to sayĀ that many elected members of Parliament of our country think of themselves as kings, rather than representatives. Whereas they should be totally accountable to their electorates.ā€

Amar MP initiative

Amar MPĀ (My Member of Parliament), is a volunteer-based, non-profit, non-partisan initiative created byĀ a group of Bangladeshi online activistsĀ and spearheaded by expatriate blogger Sushanta Das Gupta. The over-arching mission is to make MPs aware of their responsibilities and try to ensure their accountability to the electorate.

The platformĀ lets usersĀ find out who their representative in their area is and all about the MPsĀ themselves including their publicly filed statement of wealth. They have the option ofĀ contacting them via different contact numbers and social media accounts listed onĀ the website. Moreover, if they fail to contact them through these means, they can also pose questions to MPs directly through the platform.

Read more:Ā Physical brawl ensues in Pakistanā€™s National Assembly when lawmakers disagree

Users will have to register to the website (they can also register with their Facebook ID) to be able to contact an MP. This will prevent trolling, and any abuseĀ will be filtered byĀ the Amar MP website before reaching the MPs.

The website has been upĀ for a few months now and has already generated aĀ buzz. People are sendingĀ questionsĀ about theĀ cleanliness of towns, making MPs aware of theĀ infrastructure needsĀ of villages and complaining about localĀ drug problems.

Some MPs have alreadyĀ startedĀ answeringĀ someĀ of theĀ questions. Abdur Rahman Badi, MP of Cox’s Bazar-4 constituency replied to a question by Mohammad Tareq about the drug problem in Teknaf, for instance: HeĀ said:

ā€œThanks for sending this question. I would like to inform you that a list of the known drug dealers is being prepared by the relevant authorities and steps will be taken against them. I hope that we can eradicate the drug problem in this region within the space of the next year.ā€

 

ā€œFor the first time an MP in Bangladesh answered questions from a voter throughĀ a video message on YouTube.ā€

Abul Khair ShahjahanĀ wrote onĀ Facebook:

ā€œI cannot imagine how the citizens are not being helped by this. Many MPs are becoming aware of the electorate and activeĀ on social media, becoming inspired by this website.ā€

Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP tweeted:

The website hasĀ called for applicationsĀ from volunteers to become ambassadors of constituencies who will liaise with the relevantĀ MPs regarding queries submitted through the platform. Many MPs areĀ vetting the ambassadorsĀ designated for their electorates. A commenter,Ā Sisyphus, talked about potential training for MPs on social media use:

ā€œI think MPs should be trained on how to use Facebook, Twitter or even email. Every MP should do it, so that they become comfortable using these media and become prolific.ā€

Following its trial run, the website will beĀ formally launchedĀ in March. ItsĀ Facebook pageĀ has more than 36k followers and helps users deal with any problems they encounter using the website.

Rezwan is from Dhaka, Bangladesh and he has been blogging at The 3rworld view since 2003. He has been bridgeblogging the Bangladeshi and South Asian Blogosphere in Global Voices since 2005. This piece was first published in Global Voices.