91 bills passed replacing 117 Yunus-era ordinances

Parliament has passed a total of 91 bills within the constitutionally mandated 30 days of its first sitting, effectively replacing 117 ordinances issued during the interim government period.

Of the total, 24 bills were passed on Friday (10 April), the final day before the 30-day deadline, marking the completion of the legislative process required under Article 93 of the Constitution.

Earlier, 67 bills had already been passed in phases over the past week – two on 5 April, seven on 6 April, 14 on 7 April, 13 on 8 April, and 31 on 9 April.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman told Parliament that out of the 91 bills, all but 16 ordinances were incorporated, meaning a total of 117 ordinances were converted into laws, while the remaining ones will be reviewed further before being reintroduced in strengthened forms.

A parliamentary special committee, formed to examine 133 ordinances issued during the interim government's tenure, had recommended approving 98 in their original form and 15 with amendments. It also suggested repealing four ordinances and revisiting 16 others for future legislation. The committee submitted its report to the House on 2 April.

Most of the bills were passed without objection from the opposition, with many cleared clause-by-clause without amendments or extensive discussion. In some cases, bills were passed within just a few minutes through voice votes.

The 24 bills passed on Friday include major legislations such as the Bank Resolution Bill, 2026, the Cyber Security Bill, 2026, the July Uprising Memorial Museum Bill, 2026, and the Welfare and Rehabilitation of the Families of Martyrs and July Fighters of the July Uprising Bill, 2026.

Other notable laws include the Narayanganj, Barishal, Mymensingh, Cumilla and Rangpur Development Authority bills, amendments to the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Act, the Wildlife (Conservation and Protection) Act, and several financial and banking-related laws, including amendments to the Bangladesh Bank and Grameen Bank acts.

Despite broad consensus, a few bills triggered opposition protests. The July Uprising Memorial Museum Bill, 2026, was passed with amendments proposed by ruling party lawmaker Anisur Rahman, prompting the opposition to walk out of Parliament, alleging a breach of prior political understanding.

Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam criticised the move, saying the bill was passed "through trickery" despite earlier agreement that it would be adopted without changes.

The Bank Resolution Bill, 2026, was also passed by voice vote despite strong objections from the opposition, which had earlier staged walkouts over what it described as "anti-people" legislation. Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman said they did not want to take responsibility for such bills.

On Thursday, the opposition had also objected to five other bills, including those related to the National Human Rights Commission, Supreme Court judge appointments, the National Freedom Fighters' Council, district councils, and municipal governance.

According to constitutional provisions, the ordinances that were not converted into laws within the stipulated time will automatically lapse.