Govt to uphold July fighters' indemnity, revisit naming of institutions: Salahuddin
A special committee is tasked with reviewing all 133 ordinances issued by the interim government, determining which should remain in force and which should be repealed.
The indemnity granted to those involved in the July Uprising will be accepted and the naming of various institutions carried out during the previous government's tenure will be discussed, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said.
The government will review 133 ordinances issued during the tenure of the interim administration, Salahuddin told reporters today (24 March) ahead of a parliamentary special committee meeting.
"The indemnity given to the July fighters will be upheld. We will also discuss the naming of various institutions carried out during the previous government's tenure. Decisions will be taken after reviewing all matters," he said.
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Salahuddin said the committee will need to act swiftly due to time constraints.
"The [first parliament] session sat on the 12 [March] and will reconvene on the 29 [March]. Within this limited timeframe, we must reach decisions on the key ordinances," he added.
Today's meeting marked the formal start of the special committee's work to scrutinise the ordinances. Under parliamentary directives, the committee is expected to submit its report by 2 April.
Earlier, Mujibur Rahman, senior nayeb-e-ameer of the Jamaat-e-Islami and lawmaker for Rajshahi-1, said his party would not recommend any ordinance that contradicted the Constitution or public expectations.
The formation of the special committee took place on 15 March under the chairmanship of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and is considered significant for parliament.
It is tasked with reviewing all 133 ordinances issued by the interim government, determining which should remain in force and which should be repealed. The findings will be discussed before a final decision is made.
Ordinances
On 12 March, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman placed the ordinances before parliament on the first day of its session.
On 15 March, he proposed in parliament that the ordinances be sent to the special committee for scrutiny. The session was presided over by the speaker.
"I have presented 133 ordinances in parliament. A special committee was formed during the first session. I request that these ordinances be sent to the committee for scrutiny and that the committee submit its report by 2 April," the minister said.
The proposal was adopted through a voice vote and the ordinances were subsequently referred to the committee.
The list includes amendments to laws related to Bangladesh Bank, zila parishads, upazila parishads, city corporations and municipalities, as well as changes concerning the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission, Special Security Force and the repeal of security provisions for family members of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
It also includes ordinances related to public service, the Bangladesh Public Service Commission, public procurement, banking, Grameen Bank, voter lists, local government, delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, the Representation of the People Order, civil courts, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the International Crimes Tribunal.
Two ordinances related to the July Uprising – the July Uprising Memorial Fund Ordinance and the July Uprising (Protection and Determination of Liability) Ordinance – are also on the agenda.
Additional ordinances cover areas such as microfinance banks, private export processing zones, gas, the Cumilla and Narayanganj development authorities, negotiable instruments, the Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation and the Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation.
