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Pvt Members' Bill Committee

Lawmakers fail to end dispute with speaker

Staff Correspondent
Irked by the speaker's indifference to the need for allowing private members' bills to be placed in parliament, the parliamentary standing committee on private members' bills and resolutions yesterday met the speaker, but failed to resolve the crisis.
The crisis in the committee is rather likely to deepen as its representative from the main opposition Awami League (AL) boycotted the meeting in protest against the
speaker's refusal to meet the committee's demand to allow some private members' bills in the upcoming parliamentsession.
The lawmakers, who have been vocal for long about expressing their thoughts in formulation of laws through placing their bills in parliament, met Speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar as the last effort to resolve the crisis.
But the speaker refused to meet the demand, prompting a debate on the issue between him and the committee members. He ended the meeting withoutanyfruitful result.
The AL lawmakers at the meeting accused the speaker of making the parliament and the committee "dysfunctional" by his "negative attitude". They also questioned the need to continue the system of private members' bills.
"The system should be scrapped if the private members' bills are not allowed to be placed in the House," AL representative of the committee and lawmaker Shawkat Ali told the speaker.
The speaker told the lawmakers that the ruling party lawmakers were asked to consult with the prime minister before piloting any private members'bills.
Otherwise, they might face the Article 70, losing their memberships in the House, sources said quoting the speaker.
Talking to The Daily Star, committee member and BNP lawmaker Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bakul also echoed the same view.
According to the definition of the private members' bills in the rules of procedure of the Jatiya Sangsad, any lawmaker who is not a member of the cabinet will be entitled to place in parliament any bill which will be considered as private members' bills. The House will decide the fate of the bills whether those will be passed or be rejected.
The lawmakers who submitted private members' bills proposing formulation of different laws, including amendment to the constitution, have become frustrated as their bills are not being placed in parliament. This has prompted the committee to stop scrutinising any new bill since last January.
Sticking to its position, the committee at yesterday's meeting did not discuss any new bill. Following the meeting, the members led by its chairman met the speaker at his office in a bid to resolve the crisis.
The committee's recommendations to parliament, made by six separate reports, for passage and tabling of 14 bills, including 11 for amendment to the constitution, have been being ignored since 2002.
The speaker asked the officials concerned to seek permission from the law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister whether or not these 11 bills will be placed in parliament. The law minister gave the permission on April 20, 2004 but the speaker did not initiate any further steps, sources at the parliament secretariatsaid.
The amendment bills to the constitution were first submitted to the parliament secretariat and then sent to the parliamentary body for scrutiny. The other bills were sent to the committee for scrutiny after being placed in parliament and it recommended for passage.
The lawmakers submitted a total of 54 bills that were sent to the parliamentary body for scrutiny.
The government in its own initiative passed two bills-one for formation of an anti corruption commission and the other, an amendment bill to constitution, for reintroducing women reserved seats in parliament. The lawmakers had placed similar bills long ago before the government efforts.
The government has so far passed one private members' bill in the current parliament to repeal a law on displaying the portrait of Bangabandhu at different government and semi-government offices.