CPD organised a brainstorming session with the Members of Parliament (MPs), experts and distinguished civil society representatives at the CPD Dialogue Room, on 20 September 2010. The session discussed two studies titled Parliament of Bangladesh: Accountability and Control; and Political Parties in Bangladesh, which are being carried out at the CPD as part of a collaborative research programme being implemented by CPD jointly with Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Norway. The session was moderated by Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman of CPD while Professor Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow, CPD led the discussion. Mr Suranjit Sengupta, MP from the Bangladesh Awami League; Mr Hasanul Haq Inu, MP, President of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal; Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, MP from the Jatiya Party; Barrister Andaleeve Rahman, MP and Chairman, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP); Professor Imtiaz Ahmed, University of Dhaka; Professor M M Akash, University of Dhaka; Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Member Secretary, SUJAN; and Dr Mirza M Hassan, BRAC University participated in the discussion. The study team member representing CMI from Norway, Mr Inge Amundsen, Senior Researcher was present at the discussion. Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director and Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Senior Research Fellow of CPD were present at the session, along with other senior researchers.
The objective of the brainstorming session was to identify priority issues which should be addressed in the two studies. The CPD-CMI study would look into the structure of political parties in Bangladesh in terms of their decision making process, and how it impacts on parliamentary politics. The studies would be essentially academic exercises where CPD’s experience of organising dialogues would also be deployed to draw suggestions to promote good governance in the country.