The following is the remaining part of Friday's JS proceedings

After the Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia completed her statements, the Speaker took up the day's legislative business and Saki six bills were to be considered.

Tariqul Islam

Then State Minister for • Social Welfare and Women's Affairs. Tariqul Islam called for taking up the "Jatlya Mahila Sangstha Bill. 1991" immediately for consideration by the House.

But the Jatlya Party members tried to raise a privilege motion on Anwar Hossain Manju MP and being refused staged a walk out. However, tliey returned after a few mln-

Taking the floor, the independent and Opposition members called upon Tariqul Islam to either withdraw the bill or send it to elicit public opinion. They termed the bill "undemocratic" and regretted that a democratic government, elected after a prolonged anti-autocracy movement, wanted to move a bill of Ershad regime.

The Independent and Opposition members, who took the floor, were Nurul Islam Moni (Ind-Barguna). Azizur Rahman (AL-Moulvibazar). Rah mat Ah (AL-Cazipur). Rahida Khatoon (Jamaat Women’s seat — Naogaon-Natore). Rashcd Khan Menon (WP-Bakerganj). Sheikh Harunur Rashid Mia (AL-Khulna). Matiur Rahman Nizami (Jamaat—Pabna).

Rashcd Mosharrof (AL Jamalpur). Dhirendra Nath Shambhu (AL-Barguna). Munsur Ahmed (AL-Satkhtra). Mohammad Nasim (AL-Sirajganj). Sudhangshu Shekhar Haidar (AL-Pirozepur). Asaduzzaman (AL-Magura), Sajeda Chowdhury (AL-Faridpur). and Advocate Fazle Rabbi (JP-Gaibanda)

Farida Rahman

Treasury Bench member Earida Rahman and Sarwar! Rahman also took the floor and said there was no need to send the bill to elicit public opinion.

The House rejected the amendments.

When Deputy Speaker Sheikh Razzak All pointed out the shortage of time, the Leader of the Opposition took the floor and stressed on the need for discussion on the bill as there were objections to it.

B. Chowdhury

The Deputy Leader of the House Prof Badruddoza Chowdhury said there was an understanding with the Opposition that only one or two of their member would speak on the bill to enable the MPs to go to the cyclone affected areas and speak on the speech of the Acting President made in the House on the opening day.

Nurul Islam Moni

Nurul Islam Moni (Ind-Barguna) pleaded for incorporating his amendments in the bill before its passage.

Suranjit Sengupta

Suranjit Sengupta said the bill would not play any role tn the transition to democracy He said tire provision on nom ■ nation at every step of appointment of officials of the

Jattya Mahila Sangstha would rather make things compll cated than delivering any good.

Fade Rabbi

Advocate EazIe Rabbt (JP-Galbandha) also spoke tn support of the inclusion of his amendments in the bill.

Sudhangshu Shekhar Halder (AL-Pirojepur) called for incorporating his amendment in the bill.

Delwar Hossain

Chief whip of the Treasury Bench Delwar Hossain said the arguments put forward by the members of opposition on the bill were self-contradictory as some of them called for sending the bill to elicit public opinion and some called for adopting it after incorporating their amendments.

He requested the Chair to pass the bill after adopting his amendments.

The Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina wondered as to why they Treasury Bench became so serious to pass the "Jatlya Mahila Sangstha Bill. 1991''. in which calls for appointing every official in the Sangstha. not through election, but by noml nation.

She said she would not have any objection if the Interests of the women could be served through this bill.

She said there was no need for the Jatlya Mahila Sangstha as the rights of the women were well protected in the constitution of the country. She said the money that would be spent for the Jatlya Mahila Sangstha could Instead be used for the education of the womenfolk by establishing more schools and colleges for women in the country.

Sheikh Hasina also pleaded for having a dialogue with the representatives of the 1-7 women's organisations which participated actively in Ilic anti-autocracy movement.

She said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave due honour to the women. She said Bangabandhu gave Bcerangana' titles to the women subjected to distress during the liberation war.

She said during the regime .of Ziaur Rahman 150 women in northern Bangladesh voluntarily registered their names as prostitutes being driven by the pangs of hunger after a famine that visited tliat area in 1979. She called for the withdrawal of the bill for enhancing the dignity of women.

Defending the bill State Minister for Women's Affairs Tariqul Islam said the bill was withdrawn after introducing it earlier to incorporate amendments to IL

He said the amendments suggested by the Chief Whip of the Treasury Bench and those by Suranjit Sengupta and Mohluddin Ahmed were duly considered for inclusion. He also requested the Chair to incorporate the amendments in the hill before Its oassace

The bill was then passed by voice vote after incorporating tire amendments as suggested by Chief Whip Delwar Hossain.

Tofael Ahmed

Participating in the discussion on “Bank-Company Bill. 1991." Awami League member Tofael Ahmed alleged that some of the provisions In the bill was contrary to fundamental rights. He further charged that the current bill was actually drafted by the previous government. Therefore, it needed careful examination. Ahmed called for deletion of undemocratic provisions from the bill

Taking the floor. Jatiya Party member Moudud Ahmed said, this bill was very important for the growth and rejuvenation of the economy. He said banks which dealt with public deposits should be armed with such laws that could be trustworthy and protected public interest. He mentioned that the bill was the outcome the considerations of a highpowered committee that recommended necessary measures for the protection of public interest. He mentioned similar bills were In existence In Pakistan and India.

This bill should not be discarded only because it was drafted during the previous regime, he commented.

Moudud Ahmed opined that there should be provisions in the bill which provided the scope for Inclusion of Bangladesh nationals 1n the board of director of foreign banks as it was in other countries. He also said that banks being an important institution must have social commitment, which the private banks now lacked. Nationalised commercial banks alone should not be burdened with the responsl bility of extending credit for economic development, he said, adding private commercial banks should also share the responsibility.

Moudud Ahmed demanded only Sonali Bank be left as the only nationalised commercial banks and other nationalised banks be privatised.

Workers Party member Rashcd Khan Menon said, since the bill is related to persons who deal with peoples' deposit. It demands jareful scrutiny. He asked for taking opinions of the private sector banking and chambers about the bUl.

Suranjit Sen Gupta of Ga no tan tri Dal said, since the bill curtails the rights of the sponsor directors, it was destined to discourage those who would take initiative to float a bank. He called for removal of the discrepancy In the bill.

Akhtaruzzaman Babu

Awami League member Akhtaruzzaman Babu described the bill as a product of the autocratic regime and mentioned that a copy of the bill reached him seven months ago. He said banking laws needed to be amended, because those are outdated.

But the amendment, must be aimed at Improvement while not to make the laws undemocratic, he opined. He

pointed out lliat the clause to remove a sponsor director after six years, would crate vacuum in banking. He demanded examination of the bill by an experts' committee before placing It in the House.

Sheikh Ansar Ali

Jamaate-Islamf member Sheikh Ansar Ali said the bill should be sent to elicit public opinion.

Mujibur Rahman

State Minister for Finance Mujibur Rahman said the present bill has been brought to control the private banks 1n the interest of the economy. He said the provision of con tlnutng the tenure of sponsors directors for unlimited period has generated favouritism leading to squandering of the money deposited by people. Many of the sponsor directors took huge loans from the banks and never repaid them. No step could be taken to recover the Ioans from the defaulters. neither any action was taken against the defaulters, he added.

He said the provision of six years duration for sponsor-directors tn the private banks has been made In the bill to restore discipline In the national economy and run the banks smoothly.

Thereafter, the Opposition move for sending the bill for eliciting public opinion was re lee ted bv voice vote.

Salahuddin Quader

Moving his amendment to the bill. Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury said the honest desire expressed by the State Minister for Finance tn the bill might not be effective because of the lacuna in it. He pleaded for incorporating the provision of challenging the government decision to the Supreme Court In the bill.

S.S. Halder

- In his amendment S S Halder (AL-Pirojpur) strongly opposed the provision of limiting the duration of sponsor directors of banks to six years. ,

Akbar Ali

Akbar All (BNP-Slrajgonj) also criticised some provisions in the bill and said Its passage would have adverse effects on the slock exchange.

In his amendment Abdul Matin Khasrti (AL-Comilla) said If the bill was passed In its present form foreign investors would feel discouraged to Invest their capital In Bangladesh.

He argued that the provision of fixing the time limit of the sponsor directors of private banks to six years was un-

democratic tn nature. He narrated how the autocratic regime had used the banking sector for political purpose and looting money of the peo pie and thus destroyed the economy.

In this connection, he referred to the address of the Acting President in the Sangsad in which he mentioned that Taka ten thousand crore advanced to the industrialists was still unrealised. He further said that as banking is controlled by the government. The bill. If passed In Its present form would allow the power of control to be misused by a government if it were not a pro-people one.

Taking the floor. Majubur Rahman said a provision lias been made in the bill so that the deposit of he people could not be misappropriated.

Regarding the limitation of tenure of the sponsor directors to six years, he said such a system was in practice In India. Pakistan and Hong Kong

Then the amendment proposals by Sudhangshu Shekhar Haidar. Akbar Ali. Abdul Matin Khashru and Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury were placed before the House. The proposals were rejected by voice vote.

The House passed the bank company bill. 1991. at 11.18 pm.

Education Minister Dr Badruddoza Chowdhury, who Is tn charge of the Election Commission Secretariat In the Jatlya Sangsad. placed The representation of the people (amendment) bill. 1991" for Immediate consideration.

ASM Firoz

The Deputy Speaker invited ASM Firoz to move his resolution to circulate the bill for eliciting public opinion.

Firoz moving his resolution said that the Deputy Leader of the House had said that he would place the bill in another form fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people.

He said if the bill was now passed in the present form then the nine year movement against the autocratic government would be meaningless.

Khalemul Islam (AL-Thakurgaon). Advocate Dltlrendra Debnath Shambhu (AL Barguna). Sheikh Ansar Ali (Jamaat-Satkhlra) moved their resolutions and called for eliciting public opinion before passing the bill.

Sheikh Harunur Rashid (AL-Khulna) and Khan Tlpu Sultan (AL-Jessore) called for sending the bill to the select committee.

Pro Badruddoza Chowdhury participating next said that the bill would be passed with amendments brought by Treasury Bench member from MunshiganJ Wing Commander (Retd) M Hamidullah.

Both the resolutions of eliciting public opinion and sending it to the select committee were rejected by voice vote.

Wing Commander M Hamidullah then placed the amendments to the bill which was passed unanimously by the House.

The House later unanimously passed the representation of the people (amendment) bill. 1991.

Prof Badruddoza Chowdhury extended thanks to the Opposition Bench for unanimously passing the bill.

The Delimitation of Constituencies (Amendment) Bill. 1991. was unanimously passed In the Sangsad.

Earlier winding up the discussion on the bill. Deputy Leader of the House and proposer of the bill Professor Badruddoza Chowdhury said the passage of the bill was a must for tn holding of ten byelections.

On the comment^ of the Opposition members. Prof

delimitation was promulgated b« Acting President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed who was chosen by the parties that waged the movement against autocracy. That's why It was obligatory on the part of those who fought unitedly against an toe racy to help passage of the bill. He requested members belonging to Opposition Bench to extend their support in this regard.

Taking part tn the discus ston on the bill. Awami League member ASM Firm demanded that the delimitation of constituencies for 1973 and 1979 parliamentary elections be retained. He said since the current bill was not the property of the BNP. It should be withdrawn.

Jamaat-e-lslami member Sheikh Ansar All said since the bill was prepared by the auto crattc government, it should be withdrawn and sent to elicit public opinion.

The proposals of sending the bill for eliciting public opinion and sending to tire select committee were rejected by voice votes.

Then the Deputy Leader of the House and Education Minister Prof Badruddoza Chowdhury placed the representation of the people (scats for women members) (amendment) bill. 1991. for adoption In the House.

Participating in the discussion on the bill. ASM Firoz (AL-Patuakhali) said that the women members of the House after their election went to the mazar of Ziaur Rahman to place floral wreath there. He said so they should also have offered a bouquet to the de posed President Ershad for having made the opportunity for them to come to the House

Giving his points of view in supporting the passage of the bill. Prof Badruddoza Chowdhury said the initiative of electing women members was taken by the members who were seated before me al the moment. He said. *1 must thank them for that' but. he said, the provision of 15 women members in the House was inadequate and the 3haheed President Ziaur Rahman increased the number to 30 subsequently.

He called upon the members of the Opposition to help pass the bill unanimously as they did in case of the passage of the two other bills in the House yesterday.

The Representation of the People (seats for women members) (amendment) Bill. 1991. was then passed by the House by voice vote.

The Election Officials (Special Regulations) Bill. 1991 was unanimously passed by the House after A F M Jahangir Hussain (AL-Patuakhali) withdrew his amendment.

Deputy Leader of the House Prof Badruddoza Chowdhury hoped that ali of us would be able to face the national disas ter through united efforts in the same spirit as the bill was

Reciprocating the sentiment of Prof Chowdhury the Opposition Chief Whip Md Nasim said they too wanted to face the national disaster putting tn united efforts and rising above narrow outlook. We want to continue this process. lie said and hoped that the Leader of the House would make an appeal In this respect with open mind.

The Deputy Speaker then adjourned the House at 12.45 am Friday until 11.30 am Saturday