DHAKA, 1 May 2005 — Amid raging debate over a revised law aimed at granting blanket immunity to the World Bank, a parliamentary watchdog body met in Dhaka yesterday and scrutinized it for any loophole. The ensuing session of the Parliament, beginning in May, is expected to pass the law.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Finance weighed up the proposed law titled “The International Financial Organizations (Amendment) Act, 2004” — the text of which has been revised in an attempt to avert controversy.
The government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is under tremendous pressure from the Washington-based lender to get the law, providing legal exemption from any lawsuit, through Parliament, sources said in Dhaka.
Sources said the Ministry of Finance has already sent the revised text of the law to all members of the parliamentary committee headed by the ruling party lawmaker Mushfiqur Rahman.
