& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

BNP considers more power for parliament

AL contacts other MPs over amendment move

By Staff Correspondent
Awami League has given a notice to the Secretary of the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) to introduce a constitutional amendment bill for reversion to parliamentary form of government.
The ruling BNP on the other hand, knowledgeable sources say, is considering delegating more power to the parliament to establish an accountable government*.
Constitutional experts of the party are working on the proposal and the outcome will be made public soon.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the 5-party alliance led by flashed Khan Menon MP called on Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia on Friday request-
ing her to take initiatives to introduce parliamentary form of government.
Begum Zia is learnt to have told the delegation that she would take up the matter with the BNP leadership.
The session of the Parliament which was adjourned on April 11 will resume at 2 pm today (Sunday).
Parliament Secretariat sources confirmed the receipt of notice from Abdus Samad Azad, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
On April 14 the AL bill will require prior recommendation of the President, and will have to be processed through the Ministry of Law and Justice. Mohammad Nasim, Chief Whip of the Opposition in Parliament told the Dally Star on Friday that a meeting of MPs belonging to the Awami League will be held at the chamber of the Leader of the Opposition at the Parliament building tomorrow (Monday) at 10 am to discuss the proposed bill.
He said he has started contacting MPs belonging to Jamaat e-Islaml, other smaller parties and independents to request them to lend their support to the bill.
The proposed bill provides only for changing the form of government and not for the repeal of seven constitutional amendments starting from the Fourth Amendment — the political stand of AL.
Law and Justice Minister Mirza Golam Hafiz said that his ministry has started examining the proposed bill.
However, his initial reaction was that the Awami League was doing this for cheap popularity.
He said they know fully well that even the government which commands a majority tn the House will find it tough to get a constitutional amendment bill passed.
’If they were really Interested in doing something they would start negotiations with the government. How can they get a constitutional amendment bill passed without enlisting the support of two-thirds of the MPs,' he asked.
The Rules of Procedure of the Parliament required that
any member, other than * Minister, desiring to introduce a bill will give fifteen day's written notice to the Secretary, and with the notice submit three copies of the bill alongwlth an explanatory statement of objects and reasons.
The AL bill, a private member's bill as It is, has to be introduced on a private member's day (Thursday) provided ft fulfils all preconditions.
However, such a bill is also to go through a Committee on Private Members' Bills and Resolutions', which is yet to be formed by the present parlia
The parliament which went into session on April 5 has so far constituted only the Business Advisory Committee and the House Committee.
Again if the bill is introduced In the House the Treasury Bench may refer it to a select committee for scrutiny and modifications. Given all such technicalities it may take months before the House can take any decision on the bill.
Mohammad Nasim said they do not expect BNP's support to the bill. However, once it is introduced in the House BNP will have to make its position clear.
AL's proposal to change the Constitution without repealing all but the first three Amendments is a move to attract support from the Jamaat and other political parties which are opposed to the idea of going beck to the pre-1975 constitutional arrangement under which parties based on religion are banned.