TIB calls for immediate ethical conduct code for public reps
Highlighting the entire episode centring the suicide of 19-year-old Mariam Khatum, the second wife of Satkhira-4 constituency Gazi Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Transparency International Bangladesh on Tuesday asked how Islam could still retain his parliamentary membership, urging for enactment of a code of conduct for public representatives.
TIB chronicled the allegations of an extramarital relationship with Khatun, securing a job for her in Parliament and luring her father with promises of obtaining a contractor’s licence and securing government work for him.
TIB said Islam then claimed Khatun as his second wife. He was also expelled from his party after an internal investigation found “moral misconduct” on his part, before he was arrested and then remanded by police for four days in a case of abetment to suicide over Khatun’s unnatural death.
Calling for an impartial and independent investigation into Khatun’s death and the allegations of sextortion or sexual blackmail preceding it, the organisation urged the Speaker to determine how to address the situation, which was “damaging to the dignity of Parliament, arising from Gazi Nazrul’s continued membership of Parliament.”
It also reiterated a proposal calling for the immediate enactment of a specialised and mandatory code of ethical conduct for public representatives.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “No one can be held guilty before an allegation is proven. That said, even if no situation has arisen involving a vote against the party, it cannot in any way be acceptable that a person responsible for a situation that is degrading to Parliament and other Members of Parliament continues as a Member of Parliament.”
He asked, given the circumstances, “how do other Members of Parliament, regardless of party affiliation, view the continuation of Gazi Nazrul Islam’s parliamentary membership? Why should there be no accountability mechanism for a person responsible for a situation that is degrading to Parliament?”
He said such a series of serious allegations and ethical questions surrounding a public representative was an affront to the dignity of the National Parliament and “deeply embarrassing for its Members”.
“Therefore, the National Parliament and the Election Commission must immediately clarify what measures are being taken regarding his parliamentary status.”
Dr Zaman said, “Under Article 66(2)(d) of the Constitution, a person becomes disqualified from being a Member of Parliament if, upon conviction for a criminal offence involving moral turpitude, he or she is sentenced to imprisonment for at least two years. Therefore, the allegations, arrest, remand or the decision of the party investigation in the present case do not, in themselves, create a constitutional disqualification for Gazi Nazrul. However, Parliament must be protected from a practice whereby this legal threshold is turned into a safeguard for ethical misconduct.”
He said the provisions must be made clear regarding what measures will apply in cases of serious ethical misconduct, conflicts of interest, abuse of power, or conduct that undermines the dignity of Parliament or amounts to contempt of Parliament, and under what circumstances the cancellation of parliamentary membership or the vacation of a seat may arise.
“At the same time, accountability must be ensured through investigation into all allegations against Gazi Nazrul concerning abuse of office and influence, particularly the allegations of sextortion.”
Referring to the Gazi Nazrul affair as an exceptional example of moral misconduct among Members of Parliament, the TIB Executive Director said, “Unfortunately, information on moral misconduct by Members of Parliament has previously been repeatedly reported and discussed through various research findings and fact-based media reports drawing on reliable information from the local level. Yet no effective measures have been taken to address the issue.”
Noting that the demand for a specialised, comprehensive and mandatory code of ethical conduct for Members of Parliament is not new, he said the The Members of Parliament Conduct Bill, 2010, based on TIB’s original draft, was introduced in Parliament.
He said the proposed bill included provisions such as refraining from using influence for personal interests, avoiding conflicts of interest, and not making recommendations for recruitment, promotion or transfer, but the initiative did not become law.
He said the same need was recognised again in the expectation of state reforms following 2024.
The Electoral System Reform Commission recommended enacting a separate Members of Parliament Conduct Act. The recommendations of the Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commission also proposed legislation requiring public representatives to update their asset declarations annually.
“All political parties expressed unconditional consensus on this. TIB, too, reiterated its call for an effective code of conduct for elected public representatives in its post-2024 reform proposals and recommendations submitted to the current government in 2026. The problem has been identified, and the way forward is also known - so why is there still no interest in implementation? This question must be answered.”