Laws on disappearances to be improved thru stakeholder consultations: Salahuddin

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today (12 April) said issues such as enforced disappearance, human rights, and the Supreme Court Secretariat would be addressed through improved laws after consultation with stakeholders.

"Not everything in those [interim government] ordinances was correct. I myself was a victim of enforced disappearance. There will be a better law on this to ensure justice," he said.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Secretariat, organised to discuss the bills on 133 ordinances placed in parliament, the home minister alleged the opposition was trying to politicise some ordinances issued hastily during the interim government.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman also said decisions on 16 ordinances – including those related to the Human Rights Commission and the appointment of Supreme Court judges – will be taken after further scrutiny.

Salauddin criticised opposition walkouts in parliament, saying while they are allowed to do that under parliamentary rules, the grounds for doing so were not justified. He accused opposition leaders of misrepresenting facts outside parliament.

He further said the ordinances on which dissent notes were raised by the opposition had been presented unchanged in parliament.

Regarding the July Memorial Museum, he noted that a clause allowing the curator to remain indefinitely unless they resigned voluntarily had been revised by the government. He said such matters could be discussed further and new bills introduced if needed.

He added that ordinances not yet tabled in parliament would be presented in amended form in future sessions.

On the referendum issue, the home minister said that although a referendum was conducted under an ordinance, it did not fully comply with Article 142 of the Constitution. He noted that he himself had proposed the referendum, after which the ordinance was issued.

He also mentioned that a presidential order was issued under the ordinance – despite such authority not being constitutionally vested in the president – and that a writ petition has been filed in court over the matter.

However, he said the referendum conducted under the ordinance remains valid, and since it has already been completed, there is no immediate need for a new law unless another referendum arises in the future.

No 'lack of transparency' among us: Law minister 

Law Minister Asaduzzaman said the BNP wants to enact accountable and modern laws, and as part of its electoral commitments, it aims to make these laws more transparent. He stressed that there is no ambiguity or lack of transparency regarding these ordinances.

The minister accused certain quarters of spreading confusion by claiming that the government had "dropped" the ordinances. He said the proposals clearly mention transparency and accountability, but some are deliberately ignoring this. He also urged all concerned not to spread misinformation.

He made the remarks at the press conference held at the Secretariat.

The minister said, "Out of these ordinances, 97 have been passed into law unchanged as bills. Thirteen have been enacted with amendments, and seven have been repealed and kept in abeyance.

"The remaining 16 ordinances will be reviewed further and necessary steps will be taken in line with the report of the special committee."

He added that there had been detailed and lively discussions in parliament on several ordinances, particularly those concerning the National Human Rights Commission, the appointment of Supreme Court judges, and the Supreme Court Secretariat.

Opposition parties have accused the BNP-led government of breaching trust by not passing all ordinances issued during the interim administration. In protest, MPs from Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party staged walkouts from parliament.

Responding to the criticism, the law minister said, "Those who claim that we do not want a strong Human Rights Commission, a Supreme Court Secretariat, or transparency in judicial appointments should understand that the BNP is committed to making these laws more transparent, accountable and time-appropriate."

He explained that further review was necessary for certain bills. "For example, in the case of the Human Rights Commission law, the Supreme Court judges' appointment law, and the Supreme Court Secretariat law, we have clearly stated in the preambles that further consultation with stakeholders and detailed scrutiny are required."