No referendum ordinance in parliament, special committee meeting cancelled

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said there is no need to pass the recently concluded referendum in the form of a bill, because the ordinance under which it was held has expired. He told reporters after a special committee meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Sunday night (March 29). Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed its disagreement (disagreement) on this decision of the government party.
Apart from the referendum ordinance, there are differences of opinion between the government and the opposition on at least 15 issues out of the 133 ordinances issued by the interim government. The government party wants to make changes to the ordinances of the Human Rights Commission, Appointment of Judges, Prevention of Disappearances and Anti-Corruption Commission. Jamaat has expressed its disagreement in protest against this.
Responding to journalists’ questions about the referendum ordinance, the Home Minister said that the referendum ordinance has expired. The referendum for which it was held has been held. No more referendums will be held under it. Therefore, there is no point in re-approving it and turning it into a bill and making it a law.
He further explained that according to Article 93 of the Constitution, an ordinance is introduced in Parliament. The fate of the ordinances has to be decided within 30 days of the session of Parliament. But the work of this ordinance has been completed. It was not part of any constitution. The law was made for a referendum and the use of that ordinance has also been completed. However, due to lack of time (in the next 10 days), it will not be possible to bring all the bills. Those that remain will be brought in the form of bills in the next session.
Regarding the differences of opinion between the opposition members in the committee meeting, the minister said that in the special committee, some members of the opposition party and some members of the government party expressed ‘differences’ on some ordinances. Their views will be duly reflected in the report. However, when the bills are introduced by the concerned ministers, everyone will get an opportunity to express their views during the first, second and third readings.
When asked what would happen to the ordinances after the stipulated 30-day period, he said that all the bills or ordinances that cannot be brought within 30 days will automatically be cancelled. There is no problem with that. We will bring them back in the form of bills in the next session. For example, delimitation or RPO – these have future implications, so they have to be made into laws.
The third day meeting of the special committee began at 8:30 pm in the cabinet room of the parliament and lasted for 3 hours. The meeting, chaired by the chairman of the committee, Zainul Abedin, was attended by Chief Whip Nurul Islam, Law Minister Md. Asaduzzaman, Dr. Muhammad Osman Faruk, AM Mahbub Uddin, State Minister for Public Administration Md. Abdul Bari, Muhammad Nowshad Zamir, State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin and Md. Mujibur Rahman. Mujibur Rahman and GM Nazrul Islam were present from Jamaat. Jamaat’s Mohammad Nazibur Rahman participated at the committee’s invitation.