The initiative on establishing the unit was taken under a joint project of Bangladesh Parliament and UNDP titled 'Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy (SPD),' said a concerned official at a launching ceremony of nine monographs on parliamentary studies yesterday.

The function was attended by the lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties at a city hotel.

Addressing the function Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar assured that he would exercise all his power to establish the budget analysis unit.

"There should be an office for budget analysis to provide the lawmakers with their required information on budget," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury said the role of the speaker must be absolutely neutral to strengthen parliament.

About the role of the opposition, he said, "You cannot have parliament without opposition parties. Their role is a must to strengthen parliament."

He also urged the opposition parties to attend the House.

Dr ATM Obaidullah, a project implementation specialist, said they are working for establishing the budget analysis unit in parliament.

Experts on parliamentary affairs have observed that in absence of such an office, the lawmakers do not get adequate information on budget. The lawmakers to some extent cannot understand the trend of the proposed budget, as it is not possible for all of them to study the whole documents of budget within a short time. So they cannot play their due role in the process of passing the budget.

Once the budget analysis unit is established, experts will be hired from World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other national and international organisations to provide the lawmakers with their required information by analysing the budget, officials of the SPD added.