The parliamentary standing committee on post and telecommunications ministry yesterday took the decision in a three-and-half-an-hour meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Committee Chairman GM Fazlul Haque said that it is unfortunate that they could not make any foreign trip. "Only one and a half more years are left in our tenure. So we better make trips both in and outside the country to gather knowledge?"

Sources said that committee member and the ruling BNP lawmaker Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi raised the issue. Referring to foreign trips by other parliamentary bodies he said, "Even the parliamentary standing committee on fisheries and livestock ministry went on a foreign trip recently. Then why can't we?"

Corruption and irregularities in different projects of the telecommunications ministry are all too often being reported in the media, the lawmaker said adding, "How much money will it take if we go on trips to gather knowledge on relevant matters."

Awami League lawmaker Panchanan Biswas, another member of the committee, supported the ruling party lawmaker's demand for foreign trips.

The committee then asked the telecommunications secretary to make necessary arrangements in this regard.

Coming out of the meeting, the committee chairman told journalists that they would visit different organisations under the telecommunications ministry as well as foreign companies that produce telecoms equipment.