Many members of 20 parliamentary standing committees own businesses in sectors they are supposed to watch over, which according to experts is a conflict of interest.

The Jatiya Sangsad recently formed 50 standing committees. Thirty-nine of them are tasked with ensuring accountability and transparency at the ministries.

That some of the MPs, who are in the ministry-related committees, have conflicts of interest was found during an analysis of the affidavits the individuals submitted to the Election Commission.

According to the JS Rules of Procedure, a member shall not be appointed to a parliamentary committee if their personal, financial or direct interest is linked with matters that are dealt by the committee.

A parliamentary committee of a ministry is supposed to investigate irregularities and serious complaints against one or more ministries under it. It is also tasked with examining and reviewing bills.

At the recently formed committees, 12 MPs who were ministers and state ministers of the last government are committee chairmen.

Former Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi is the chairman of the JS body on commerce ministry.

In his affidavit, he mentioned his profession as a businessman in the apparel sector.

Other members of the committee -- Sheikh Helal Uddin, Sheikh Afil Uddin, Shariful Islam Jinnah, Mahmud Hasan, and Sultana Nadira -- also own businesses.

Former foreign minister AK Abdul Momen is the chairman of the JS body on foreign affairs ministry while former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal is the chairman of the JS body on finance ministry.

Likewise, former textiles and jute minister Golam Dastgir Gazi, former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, former planning minister MA Mannan, former agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque, former fisheries minister SM Rezaul Karim, former state minister for CHT affairs Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, former minister of expatriates' welfare Imran Ahmed, former state minister for housing Sharif Ahmed, former state minister for youth and sports Zahid Ahsan Russel are chairmen of the JS body on the ministries they had led.

Shamim Osman, a member of the standing committee on labour ministry, owns the garment factory "Wisdom Knitting Mills" while another member of the committee SM Al Mamun is involved in ship-breaking yards.

Golam Kibria Tipu, a member of the parliamentary standing committee on shipping, have several launches.

Nizam Uddin Hazari is a member of the parliamentary watchdog on the expatriates' welfare ministry. He is involved in the manpower export business.

Abdur Rauf is a member of the standing committee on the power, energy, and mineral resources ministry. He has a filling station.

Mohammad Ali is a member of the standing committee on LGRD ministry. He is a contractor.

Asked, Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told The Daily Star, "In a parliament almost totally controlled by the ruling party, the prospect of effectiveness of the standing committees is utopian, if anything."

Nevertheless, the formation of the committees could have reflected a little more political acumen to avoid the potentially crippling effects of conflict of interest, he said.

"The chairpersonship or even simple membership of former ministers in the committee of the same ministry will be the most obvious predicament against any prospect of independent and objective committee work in case of allegations of corruption or other irregularities of the ministry during the former minister's tenure."

He also said members having business interests in the matters of the committees will most likely use their position to capture the proceedings in their own business interest rather than to serve the committee's objectives meaningfully.

Asked, Nizam Ahmed, a former professor at the Chittagong University and a parliamentary affairs expert, said making former ministers chiefs of different JS bodies related to the respective ministries will create problems in ensuring accountability and transparency.

"It is normal that the former ministers, who are now heads of different standing committees, will try to suppress unwanted issues of the ministries that had taken place during their time," he also said.

Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar echoed him.

Chief Whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury said the former ministers have been made chairmen of the committees as they have work experience in the ministry, and they can use their experience to make the parliamentary committee dynamic.

"There are many businesspeople, anyone can own a business," he said.

SM Rezaul Karim, former minister for fisheries and livestock and now the chief of the JS body on the same ministry, said, "I don't think there will be any conflict of interest."

"Anyone can make mistakes during work and everything can be discussed in the JS body as it is not comprised of only its chief. There are other members in the committee as well," he said, adding, "Therefore, it would not create any obstacle to discussions about any unwanted or undesired incidents that took place in the ministry."