JS
President's address to kick off first session of 2022 in JS
President Abdul Hamid on Sunday will address the 16th session of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) in the afternoon.
President's press secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB that the President is expected to begin his speech at 4pm.
The president has to address the first parliament session of every year, according to Article 73(2) of the Constitution.
Read: JS goes into session Sunday
The President's speech has also already been approved in the cabinet.
The session will start after the president’s speech while it will be the maiden session of 2022.
Earlier, the President convened the first parliament session of 2022 exercising the power bestowed upon him as per the Article 72 (1) of the Constitution.
The 15th session of parliament ended on November 28. According to the constitution, there cannot be more than 60 days between two sessions.
JS goes into session Sunday
The 16th session (also the first session of 2022 and known as winter session) of the 11th Parliament will begin at 4pm on Sunday.
As per the provisions of the constitution, President M Abdul Hamid will
address the first session of 2022.
The President, also the head of the state, convened the session exercising the power bestowed upon him as per the Clause (1) of Article 72 of the Constitution.
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All health protocols will be maintained during the session, according to the Parliament secretariat.
The 15th session was prorogued on November 28.
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JS passes Highways Bill to ensure better management, construction of highways
The Highways Bill, 2021 was passed in Parliament on Saturday, aiming to have a full-fledged law replacing the century-old one.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader moved the Bill and it was passed by voice vote.
There is a law of 1925 (Highways Act, 1925), having only five clauses, which are inadequate to deal with maintenance, management and construction (of highways).
The provisions of punishment have also been kept in the case of violation of the proposed law. The punishment will be a maximum two years’ jail or Tk 5,000-Tk 5 lakh fine.
As per the Bill, the government will decide which vehicles will run on which roads or highways, which will be declared as expressway along with highways. How these will be operated and from which roads toll will be collected.
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As per the Bill, the government or any individual given responsibility by the government will develop the highways, repair or maintain those, highways related sewerage system and construct drains, culverts and bridges.
It said that after paying the fixed charges of the government, semi government and private service providers can set up their utility connections.
It said that on the highways there will be no scope to keep crops or something others for drying up those.
The Bill stated that without taking prior permission no billboard, signboard, gate or like this will be set up on the highways.
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Slow speed vehicles have to use the specific lanes, it said.
The bill mentioned about taking steps to set up specific and safe places for people with disability, children and elderly persons.
JS passes Bill to enhance HBFC’s capitals and services
The House Building Finance Corporation Bill (Amendment) 2021 was passed in Parliament on Thursday aiming to increase the authorised and paid-up capitals so it can expand its services.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal moved the Bill in the House and it was passed by voice vote.
The original law was promulgated in 1973, during Bangabandhu’s rule, through issuing an order.
With the amendment, the authorised capital of the Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation (BHBFC) will be Tk 1,000 crore while the paid-up capital Tk 500 crore.
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The BHBFC, with the enhancement of capitals, will be able to provide more services, according to the objective of the Bill.
The proposed Bill is making punishment for providing false statements harsher while taking loans from the corporation.
The punishment for providing false statements deliberately to take loan from the corporation has been proposed at a five-year jail term or Tk 500,000 fine or both raising that from a two-year jail term or Tk 2,000 fine or both.
If anyone uses the name of the corporation in any advertisement or prospectus without any written permission, he or she will be sentenced to six months' jail or be fined with Tk 50,000 or both.
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The punishment was six months' jail or only Tk 1,000 fine in the existing Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation Order 1973.
In the proposed Bill, some words, including 'loan default', 'chairman of the corporation', and 'director' have been incorporated.
A superseding clause has been inserted in the bill to give it priority over other laws.
There will be a seven-member Board of Directors for three years while the Chairman and the Managing Director will be appointed by the government.
JS body suggests smart ID cards for FFs
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Liberation War Affairs Ministry on Wednesday recommended the government to provide every valiant freedom fighter with a digital certificate, smart identity card and a medal so that they do not face any hassle in availing of the facilities announced by the government for them.
The recommendation came from the 21st meeting of the parliamentary body, held at the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban with its chairman Shajahan Khan in the chair.
At the meeting, the committee discussed the Freedom Fighter Medal Guidelines, 2021 (Muktijoddha Padak Nitimala, 2021), the development activities of Rajdhani Supermarket, and the progress in implementation of the decisions taken in the Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust Board over the sale of fallow lands.
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The parliamentary watchdog suggested enhancement of the number of medals to distribute among qualified individuals, agencies or organisations as per the Freedom Fighter Medal Guidelines, 2021, said a handout.
It also asked for installation of lifts or capsule lifts (elevators) in all the Muktijoddha Complexes so that the freedom fighters can easily move inside the complexes.
READ: JS passes Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Bill
Committee members Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque (Gazipur-1), Rajiuddin Ahmed (Narsingdi-5), Major (Retd.) Rafiqul Islam, Bir Uttam (Chandpur-5), A.B Tajul Islam (Brahmanbaria-6), Kazi Firoz Rashid (Dhaka-6) and Waresat Hussain Belal (Netrakona-5) attended the meeting.
JS passes Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Bill
The Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed in Parliament on Saturday allowing the government to form an ad-hoc committee for a maximum one-year tenure to arrange Bar Council elections in an unusual situation.
Law Minister Anisul Huq piloted the Bill in the House and it was passed by voice vote.
The Bill was placed in Parliament on Friday.
Also read: Legal Practitioners and Bar Council (Amendment) Bill lands in JS
On Wednesday, the minister placed the Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 in the House.
It was approved by the Cabinet on July 26 and later the President promulgated the Ordinance on July 28.
The ordinance was promulgated as Parliament was not there in session at that time. As per rules, the ordinance was placed in Parliament on the first day of the session for its approval.
The Bill has a provision of allowing the government to form an ad-hoc committee for a maximum one-year tenure to arrange the Bar Council election in an unusual situation.
It said if the regular Bar Council election cannot be held by May 31 after every three years, the government can form a 15-member ad-hoc committee for a maximum one year.
In the existing Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972, there is no alternative provision, if the regular election cannot be arranged in time due to any natural disaster or something else like ‘acts of God’.
Also read: Leader and Dy Leader of Opposition (Remuneration and Privileges) Bill placed in JS
It said elections to the Bar Council shall always be held so as to conclude on or before the [thirty first day of May] in the year in which the term of the Bar Council expires.
It said if the elections to the Bar Council cannot be held within the time specified in clause due to pandemic, epidemic, act of God or for any other unavoidable circumstances as may be determined by the government from time to time, the government may, by notification in the official Gazette, constitute an Ad-hoc Bar Council consisting of fifteen members for a term not exceeding one year and this term shall not be further extended.
The Attorney-General of Bangladesh shall be one of the members of the Ad-hoc Bar Council and shall also be its chairman, it said.
“Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Order, the Ad-hoc Bar Council shall exercise such powers and functions of the Bar Council as specified in this Order and the rules made thereunder,” it added.
Parliament session will begin on Sept 1
The 14th session of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) will begin on September 1 next.
President Abdul Hamid has summoned the session exercising the power bestowed upon him by Article 72 (1) of the Constitution.
The session of the Jatiya Sangsad will begin at 5pm on the day with Parliament Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
The 13th session of the 11th Parliament, which was actually the budget session 2021-22 fiscal, was prorogued on July 3.
Medical Degrees (Repeal) Bill placed in JS
The Medical Degrees (Repeal) Bill, 2021 was placed in Parliament on Monday.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective Standing Committee for further examination.
Read:Medical College (Governing Bodies) (Repeal), Bill 2021 placed in parliament
The Committee was asked to submit its report within seven days.
The proposed law will abolish the Medical Degrees Act 1916 after its enactment as the law lost its necessity following the enactment of Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) Act 2010.
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The Medical Degrees Act 1916 actually used to determine everything regarding the medical degrees and their standards.
Read:BHBFC to have extended areas of services; Bill lands in JS
But all provisions of the act were incorporated in the BMDC Act 2010.
So, the Medical Degrees Act 1916 doesn’t have any necessity now.
Bill placed in JS to deal with irregularities in Hajj, Umrah sector
The Hajj and Umrah Management Bill, 2021 was placed in Parliament on Sunday to deal with irregularities and mismanagement in the sector.State Minister for Religious Affairs Ministry Md Faridul Haque Khan placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective Standing Committee for further scrutiny. The committee was asked to submit its report within 40 days.
It was seen that when the government makes a move against any hajj agency, it brings a stay order from the High Court challenging the action.
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So, a legal structure is needed to deal with hajj management. Without having registration under the proposed law, no one will be able to deal with Hajj pilgrims. And the registration authority can take action against irregularities.
According to the bill, the registration of any Hajj and Umrah agency can be cancelled for anomalies.
Also, a Hajj agency can be slapped with a fine of maximum Tk 50 lakh, while an Umrah agency with Tk 15 lakh for irregularities.
If any agency gets warnings for two years in a row, its registration will automatically be suspended for the same period. Also, lawsuits can be filed against criminal offences committed in the Hajj and Umrah management.
After the enactment of the new law, if a Bangladeshi gets involved in Hajj-related irregularities even in Saudi Arabia, it can be treated that it happened in Bangladesh and legal steps including criminal and administrative actions can be taken.
Bill placed in JS to ensure welfare of film artistes
The Bangladesh Film Artistes’ Welfare Trust Bill, 2021, was placed in Parliament on Sunday, aiming to ensure welfare of film artistes as well as provide financial support to insolvent and ailing ones.
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective Standing Committee for further scrutiny. The Committee was asked to submit its report within 45 days.
The main objectives of the bill are ensuring welfare of film actors and actress, providing financial support to insolvent and ailing artistes, necessary assistance to the family members in case of death of an artiste, and implementing other programmes to be taken by the trust.
There will be a 13-member board headed by the information minister as its chairman to run the trust.
Also read: Bill placed in JS to raise lower court judges’ pecuniary jurisdiction for trying civil suits
A managing director will be there to act as the executive chief of the trust.
The trust can receive grants and loans for its operation and it will have to take prior permission in this regard.