United News of Bangladesh

The Law Minister on Thursday told Parliament it will cost around Tk 12 lakh to make printed copies of all the previous laws during the process of introducing the 133 ordinances issued by the interim government in the form of bills. Copies of the Civil Procedure Code or CPC alone will cost about Tk 7 lakh. Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said this in a point of order after submission of the report of the special committee to review ordinances in Parliament. The Law Minister said that providing a photocopy of all the previous laws in their entirety along with the Ordinances would cost a huge amount. Therefore, he said, it has been proposed to view the relevant laws on the Law Ministry's website. “We are bringing the entire bill, but providing a photocopy of the previous law along with the bill (to all lawmakers) will cost Tk 12 lakh. Here, we have asked to take the previous law from the website.” He also said they will provide the entire bill. "We will provide it in the way you said for comparative study," he added. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said, "Even if you don't give the entire old law, it will be easier for members of parliament to understand the matter if you give a comparative description of the relevant sections. What was the law before? What amendments do you want to bring? I think giving such a statement will be convenient for members to consider." Opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman taking the floor said, it will be difficult to compare with the original law if only the amendment proposal is in front. He said only the proposal has been presented, but they also need to know what the original legislation was. “If the original bill is not there, then we will not be able to compare the changes being proposed,” he said. In response, the Speaker said the sections of the law in which the amendments have been brought, along with what are the changes, will be clearly presented to the members. If necessary, it will be explained in parliament.

A heated exchange took place in Parliament on Thursday between Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed over remarks made during the previous day’s session. The verbal clash began during a ‘Point of Order’ after the question-and-answer session when the Opposition Leader raised the issue in a sarcastic tone, prompting a strong reaction from the Home Minister. "Yesterday, after we left the House, the Honorable Home Minister was kind enough to claim I had spoken untruths. Verily, Allah has gifted him with extraordinary skill. He can change the bottle while keeping the contents intact—expertly presenting truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth. I have stood today simply to thank him for that,” said Shafiqur. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed intervened, noting that points of order should concern current matters rather than past proceedings. "This matter was settled yesterday. There is no need to raise it anew," the Speaker said advising the Home Minister not to respond. He added that had the Opposition Leader been present in the House during the original remarks, a ‘Right of Reply’ would have been granted then. However, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed took the floor to protest Dr. Rahman’s choice of words. "The Honorable Leader of the Opposition has used two unparliamentary words—specifically the word ‘lie’ .Had he said ‘untruth’, I would not have objected. I request that the word ‘lie’ be expunged from the record," the Minister stated. Defending his previous day’s stance, the Home Minister explained that the Opposition’s claim was factually incorrect. He noted that the Speaker had accepted a private member's resolution under Rule 62 long after the Opposition had staged a walkout. "How could that be considered as already tabled or read? Therefore, I maintain that his statement was untrue," Ahmed added. Responding to the Minister, Dr. Shafiqur argued that the confusion stemmed from the fact that the same proposal had been brought forward by an independent MP under a different name. "The proposal remained the same; only the name changed. I spoke based on the earlier version I was aware of. I provided no misinformation," the minister countered. While the Home Minister formally requested the expunging of the word ‘lie,’ the Speaker did not provide an immediate ruling. Parliamentary tradition in Bangladesh dictates that the word "untruth" is used instead of "lie", a practice reinforced by multiple past rulings from the Chair. The underlying tension traces back to March 29, when the Leader of the Opposition moved an adjournment motion regarding a meeting of the Constitution Reform Council. Subsequently, independent MP Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal moved another motion regarding the implementation of the ‘July National Charter.’ While those motions remained pending, the Speaker accepted a fresh adjournment motion on Wednesday from Treasury Bench MP Zainul Abdin Farroque regarding the implementation of the same Charter. The Opposition staged a walkout on Wednesday alleging that their original proposals were being suppressed in favor of the government’s version. Discussion on the newly accepted motion is scheduled for next Sunday.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood on Thursday told Parliament that the government is actively considering moving to international arbitration or revising the power purchase agreement signed with Indian Adani group through negotiations. “The options of going to the international arbitration court over the agreement signed with Adani or revising the deal through discussions with Adani Power are under active consideration of the government,” he said. The Minister said this while replying to a starred question from opposition bench lawmaker Shahjahan Chowdhury (Chattogram-15) during the question-and-answer session in the House. Iqbal Hassan said the 2017 agreement signed with India’s Adani Power (Jharkhand) Limited was reviewed during the tenure of the interim government by a national committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. The committee that included power and energy experts, legal experts, economists and chartered accountants, took opinions from an international legal firm specialising in international contracts, he added. “The national committee in its review report cited that the agreement with Adani Power had been signed by the previous Awami League government at an unusually high price compared to domestic and international market rates,” said the minister. Based on the committee’s report, the government is now actively considering steps including international arbitration or renegotiation of the agreement, he added. In reply to another question from opposition Jamaat lawmaker Mohammed Kamal Hossain (Dhaka-5), the minister said the country is currently facing a significant shortage of gas as domestic production continues to decline while supply, including imported LNG, remains insufficient compared to overall demand. “As a result, gas distribution is being disrupted to some extent in all areas and there is currently no plan to provide new residential gas connections in the present or near future,” he said. What the Minister says about fuel crisis: Replying to a supplementary question from NCP lawmaker Abul Hasnat, popularly known as Hasnat Abdullah (Cumilla-4) regarding an alleged fuel crisis at fuel pumps, the minister said the required amount of fuel is being supplied supply to the fuel pumps but the problem is being created due to panic buying. “We are supplying the required amount of fuel to each pump daily. However, following the Iran tensions, sales have surged suddenly. Previously, it took one to one-and-a-half days to sell the supplied fuel, but now it is being sold out within two hours,” he said. He attributed the situation to panic buying, saying that although long queues are being seen, fuel supply continues regularly. Earlier, Hasnat Abdullah claimed that despite the minister’s earlier statement denying any fuel shortage, many pumps are shutting down and people are not receiving expected services, citing long queues and disruptions in different areas including Sylhet. Following the question-answer session, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Annie raised an objection over the wording by the lawmaker in his supplementary question, saying it undermined the privilege of ministers. In response, the Speaker ruled that the term “minister” is acceptable, but if used in plural form as “ministers,” the suffix would be expunged from the record of the parliament.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood on Thursday told Parliament that there is no electricity shortfall against demand though occasional outages occur during peak hours in summer due to multiple reasons. The Minister said this while replying to a scripted question from treasury bench lawmaker SM Jahangir Hossain (Dhaka-18) during the question-and-answer session. Although there is currently no shortage of electricity as per demand, power outages occasionally occur to some extent during peak demand periods during the summer due to shortage of primary fuel for electricity generation, limitations in transmission and distribution infrastructure, maintenance and storms-rainfalls and it can’t be possible to continue power supply as per demand, he said. Iqbal Hassan said the country’s total power generation capacity is 32,332 megawatts (MW) and of which the grid-based power generation capacity stands at 28,919 megawatts. Depending on demand, on average 14,500 MW to 15,000 MW of electricity is being generated daily as of March 2026, he said. The minister focused on a series of measures taken by the Power Division to increase power generation in line with growing demand and to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply. The measures include giving the highest priority to the power sector, diversifying energy sources and ensuring the primary energy supply for electricity generation. According to the minister, a 180-day action plan has been formulated in line with the government’s election manifesto.  

Industries Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Thursday told Parliament that a total of 31 state-owned industrial enterprises under the Industries Ministry are currently operating at loss. “Five state-owned enterprises of Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (BSEC), 14 of Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) and 12 of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the Ministry of Industries are operating at a loss," he said. The Minister said this in his scripted answer to a question from treasury bench lawmaker SM Jahangir Hossain (Dhaka-18) during the question-and answer session. Earlier, the parliamentary session resumed at 3:30pm with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad in the chair. Abdul Muktadir said the government provides subsidies for covering the trade gap—the difference between production cost and selling price—on fertilisers such as urea, TSP and DAP produced by factories under BCIC. However, he said no subsidies are provided to the loss-making enterprises under BSFIC, though the government offers loans as operating capital support. Similarly, no subsidies are given to the loss-incurring industries under BSEC, he added. The government has plans to reduce the losses, the minister added. He said the government has taken initiatives to modernise sugar mills under BSFIC, increase sugarcane production and sugar recovery rates, rationalise manpower and establish agro-based industries and distillery plants. He further said a project is underway to convert the production process of Chhatak Cement Company Ltd under BCIC from wet process to dry process. Besides, initiatives have been taken to restart closed factories and establish energy-efficient, environment-friendly and profitable industries to produce import-substitute products using modern technologies. The minister said efforts are ongoing to modernise BSEC industries and make them environmentally-friendly as well as improve their marketing systems.

Fisheries and Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid on Wednesday said the government will ensure fish sanctuaries in rivers, beels and canals across the country to protect natural breeding grounds and restore fish resources. “The initiative also aims to restore the traditional abundance of fish in Bangladesh’s water bodies,” he said while replying to a supplementary question from ruling party lawmaker elected from Madaripur-3 Anisur Rahman during the question and answer session in the house. Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said that the government has already taken steps to protect fish during breeding seasons and will expand conservation measures in freshwater bodies, including haors, beels and canals, by declaring designated areas as fish sanctuaries where fishing will be prohibited during breeding periods. He said hilsa fishing remains banned across the country during the breeding season, particularly during egg-laying periods, usually for about two months, to ensure proper reproduction of the species. “During this period, hilsa fishermen are provided with free rice so that they do not suffer financially.” The minister added that the fishing ban is being extended beyond hilsa to include certain areas of rivers and even marine zones where fish breed in low-depth waters, as catching fish during spawning seasons destroys fish eggs and threatens various marine species. Responding to the question about whether similar restrictions would be imposed in haors and freshwater wetlands, he said the government has a clear plan to implement seasonal fishing bans in freshwater bodies as well to protect natural breeding cycles of fish. The Agriculture Minister noted that many indigenous freshwater fish species such as shing, taki and boal are now rarely found due to destruction of natural breeding grounds. “To address this, the government is taking initiatives to create protected sanctuaries in wetlands and water channels so that fish can take shelter, lay eggs and multiply naturally,” he added. Amin Ur Rashid also expressed hope that the initiative would help restore the country’s traditional fish wealth and ensure rivers, beels and ponds are once again filled with fish in the future.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday expressed firm determination to implement his party’s electoral manifesto as the present government has already started keeping the commitments made before the people. “I would like say clearly that InshaAllah, we will continue to try our best to fulfill the promise we made to the people of Bangladesh,” he said, while replying to a supplementary question from treasury bench lawmaker ABM Mosharrof Hossain (Patuakhali-4) during the question-and-answer session in Parliament. The Prime Minister said the current government has begun the initial work of implementing the promises. “We’re determined to fulfill the promises we made before the people,” he said, adding that the government would implement its all programmes in phases.   Replying to a starred question from the same lawmaker, Tarique Rahman said the family card programme was launched on March 10, 2026 and in the initial phase, allowances have been provided to 37,817 female-headed households. In the remaining three months of the current fiscal year of 2025-2026, more 30,000 families will be brought under the programme, he added. “We’ll bring four crore families under the family card programme in phases throughout the country in the next four years,” said the Prime Minister. In reply to a starred question from ruling party lawmaker Tahsina Rushdi (Sylhet-2), the prime minister said all ministries and divisions are taking necessary initiatives to formulate action plans for the next 180 days, the next fiscal year and the next 5 years to implement the commitments announced in the government's election manifesto. “Significant progress has already been achieved in the implementation of some important activities announced in the election manifesto,” he said. To protect marginalized and low-income families, the initial phase of providing 'family cards' to 37,814 female-headed families in 15 wards of 13 districts has begun, he added. Tarique Rahman said the government has taken the initiative to provide farmers with comprehensive protection. In the initial stage, piloting will be done in 11 blocks of 11 upazilas of 10 districts of 08 divisions through the Department of Agricultural Extension, he said. Besides, in order to implement the election promise, the government has already waived agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000 in the crops, animal husbandry and fisheries sectors, he added. He said the honorarium was sent to the bank accounts of a total of 9,102 beneficiaries, including 3,295 Imams, 2,975 Muazzins, 2,604 Khadems, 114 Hindu temple priests and 83 servicemen, 15 principals and 16 vice principals of Buddhist monasteries/pagodas before Eid-ul-Fitr. A project to issue 2.5 million e-health cards in Khulna district under the pilot programme on 'issuance of e-health cards' is under the process, he said. The PM said the implementation of the 20,000 km canal excavation/re-excavation programme in the next 5 years has started from March 16, 2026 as per the government's election manifesto. Some 1.5 crore saplings of various species have already been produced for afforestation with the aim of planting 25 crore trees and creating green jobs in 5 years. The produced saplings will be planted in this monsoon, he said. Tarique Rahman said the government has a plan to distribute free-school uniforms to 200,000 children in government primary schools this fiscal year.

The opposition in Parliament staged a walkout on Wednesday accusing the government of ‘undervaluing’ their proposal to convene a Constitution Reform Council and attempting to override it with a counter initiative. Led by Opposition Leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, the lawmakers exited the House during a Point of Order after expressing frustration over the lack of a definitive ruling from the Speaker on their previously discussed adjournment motion. This marks the second walkout by the opposition within the first six working days of the 13th Parliament’s maiden session. Previously, they walked out on February 12 following the President’s speech. The dispute stems from an adjournment motion moved on Tuesday regarding the failure to convene the Constitution Reform Council. During that session, the government proposed forming an all-party special parliamentary committee to oversee constitutional amendments. The opposition rejected this saying any such committee must ensure equal representation from both the treasury and opposition benches to be ‘meaningful.’ Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said the issue pertains to ‘national aspirations’ and the mandate of 70 percent of the population expressed through a referendum. "We expected a remedy through the Speaker, but we remain unclear on whether any decision was reached. We feel the people’s mandate is being ignored," he said. Responding to the opposition leader, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said  admitting the adjournment motion was itself a gesture of ‘generosity’ and democratic practice. "In the 53-year parliamentary history of Bangladesh, only three adjournment motions have ever been accepted. Although issues requiring legislation typically cannot be the subject of such motions, it was accepted by the Deputy Speaker to allow for a vibrant discussion," the Speaker explained. He urged the opposition to remain in the House, noting that another private member’s adjournment motion on a similar topic was slated for discussion which could provide further clarity.  "This is the House of the People. You should decide through open dialogue," the Speaker added. Despite the Speaker’s request to wait, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman alleged that the new motion being brought forward was a tactical move to ‘bury’ the opposition’s original notice. The Speaker said the walkout is a parliamentary right but questioned how the opposition could judge a motion that had not yet been formally tabled. Following the walkout, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed defended the government's position, asserting that the opposition’s claims are  ‘untrue’. He argued that under parliamentary rules, once an adjournment motion is discussed, it is considered ‘talked out’ and there is no provision for a vote on a settlement after the debate. The Speaker has the sole discretion to admit or reject such motions. “The opposition was given ample time—two hours—to speak on a matter that technically violated the rules of procedure, the Minister remarked. The session continued with the treasury benches after the opposition's departure.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday told Parliament that the current government will take effective steps to recover money siphoned off from Bangladesh and spend the recovered funds for the welfare of the people and the country. “You can be assured that this government will take the way and the step whichever is effective to bring back the public money, Inshallah,” he said, while replying to a supplementary question from treasury bench lawmaker Md Abul Kalam (Cumilla-9) during the question-and-answer session. The prime minister said the laundered money is the assets of the people. This government, elected by the people, has a responsibility towards them and the country, he said. “So, it is only natural that recovering the people’s money and spending it for the people and the country is one of the major responsibilities of this government,” he added. Replying to a starred question from the same lawmaker, Tarique Rahman said since assuming office the government has been trying to use the taxpayers’ money the best way in the interest of the people and the country by choking the throat of corruption and plugging leakages in various sectors. He said the current government is working giving the highest priority to recovering money siphoned abroad as US$ 234 billion money was laundered from Bangladesh between 2009 and 2023, as per a white paper prepared during the interim government. “The present government is working, giving the highest priority to the recovery of assets siphoned abroad as an important part of a broader strategy to combat corruption, money laundering and financial crimes,” he said. The Prime Minister said the amount of illicit capital outflow from Bangladesh is US$234 billion between 2009 and 2023, which averages about US$16 billion per year, according to the data of the white paper preparation committee formed by the interim government. Since the laundered money was allegedly transferred to multiple countries, it has been strengthening cooperation with the concerned countries through information exchange, asset identification and mutual legal assistance, he said. 23,865 politically motivated cases withdrawn: Law Minister To this end, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working closely with all relevant ministries and agencies to sign Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) and facilitate the exchange process of Mutual Legal Assistance Requests (MLAR), he added. The prime minister said ten countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong (China)—have been initially identified as possible destinations of the laundered money. Among them, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates have already agreed to sign agreements, while the process is underway with the remaining seven countries, he said. Tarique Rahman said an inter-agency task force has been formed under the chairmanship of the Governor of Bangladesh Bank. Legal procedures are currently underway to recover laundered He added that 11 Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) have been formed to investigate these priority cases under the leadership of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The teams were formed with representatives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police, the Central Intelligence Cell of the National Board of Revenue and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate. Highlighting progress since the formation of the JITs, the prime minister said courts have so far ordered the attachment and freezing of movable and immovable assets worth Tk 57,168.09 crore within the country as of March 25, 2026. In addition, assets worth Tk 13,278.13 crore traced abroad have also been attached and frozen following court directives, he said. “Altogether, movable and immovable assets worth approximately Tk 70,446.22 crore at home and abroad have been attached and frozen by the courts,” the prime minister said. He further said 141 cases have already been filed to recover the laundered money, of which 15 cases have seen charge sheets submitted and six cases have already received court verdicts. The prime minister mentioned that the government’s election manifesto emphasized publishing a comprehensive white paper after investigation in money laundering and corruption committed during the previous fascist Awami League regime as well as taking legal action against those identified as responsible. Replying to a supplementary question from opposition Jamaat lawmaker Md. Mujibur Rahman (Rajshahi-1), the PM said the government will take all steps as per laws against those who looted the public money. Replying to a supplementary question from opposition Jamaat lawmaker Md Mujibur Rahman (Rajshahi-1), the prime minister said the government will take all steps in accordance with the law against those who looted public money. Noting that the law will take its own course, he said, “Those who looted or siphoned off the people’s money will face punishment as per the existing laws of the country,” he said.

Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni on Wednesday said a special parliamentary committee will soon be formed to facilitate constitutional amendments. "A committee will be formed to amend  the constitution. We intend to include representatives from all political parties on a proportional basis as well as independent lawmakers. We want to initiate this committee very soon, possibly by next Sunday, taking everyone's opinions into account," he said. The Chief Whip said while the exact number is yet to be finalised the committee is expected to consist of 15, 18, or 20 members. "This is a unique situation. We want to include legal experts from both the treasury and opposition benches. If a party lacks legal experts, we will still include their representatives. Our goal is to bring the constitution to a stage where frequent changes are no longer necessary," he added. Responding to concerns that the opposition might boycott such a committee, Moni said their cooperation is essential for the nation's progress. "Their stance would not be correct. Sooner or later, we must amend the constitution. We want them in the committee. Just as you cannot shake hands with one hand or cut hair with only one blade of a pair of scissors, we need both sides. We hope they will join us for the final process," he added. The Chief Whip emphasised that constitutional reform is a necessity under the "July Charter," referring to the principles established following the 2024 uprising. "We have no other way but to amend the constitution. This is for the country. It is not about personal benefits for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman or myself. This is for the welfare of people, and there should be no room for disagreement on that," he said, asserting the government’s commitment to making the parliament effective in solving national issues. Parliamentary Infrastructure Upgrades In a separate development, the Parliament Secretariat issued a press release outlining recommendations from the meeting to modernise the session hall. The committee recommended the installation of an echo-free sound system capable of absorbing noise within one second or less. Additionally, recommendations were made to address slow internet speeds within the session hall and to ensure a steady supply of potable water in the parliament area. The meeting, chaired by Moni, was attended by committee members including Mia Noureddin Ahmed Apu, Mohammad Koysar Ahmed, Md. Shahidul Islam, Nayab Yusuf Ahmed, SM Jahangir Hossain, Oli Ullah, Saiful Alam Milan, and Abul Hasnat.