Deputy speaker whips treasury for early circulation of bills

Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal on Thursday demanding of the Treasury Bench timely circulation of bills in Parliament. UNB

Sangsad Bhaban, Sept 3 - Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal on Thursday expressed dismay over delays in circulating bills in Parliament following approval in the Cabinet, saying draft laws should be sent to the legislature promptly so that all lawmakers get sufficient time to examine them.

The Deputy Speaker made the remarks during deliberations after Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed moved the Armed Police Battalions Bill, 2026 in Parliament and proposed sending it to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Home Affairs for scrutiny within two working days.

Speaking on the proposal, Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Najibur Rahman objected to fixing such a short duration for parliamentary committees.

He said committees had recently been given limited time to examine bills, citing the National Human Rights Commission Bill as an example, for which only two working days had been allowed to submit a report.

Such deadlines, he said, could prevent committees from consulting stakeholders and relevant law enforcement agencies when necessary.

“The hands and feet of parliamentary committees are being tied,” Najibur said, arguing that bills do not automatically lapse if a committee takes more than a specified number of working days.

He said imposing strict deadlines on committees was not appropriate.

In response, Home Minister Salahuddin said the laws need to be passed by September 8 or 9 unless the Business Advisory Committee decides to extend the current session.

He also said the Armed Police Battalions Bill had been circulated to all members of Parliament.

Deputy Speaker Kaiser Kamal, however, said the issue of bills not reaching all lawmakers in time had been raised by several people.

“This is the legislature, but we are repeatedly having to use our prerogative under Rule 77,” he said.

Addressing the Home Minister, he said, “You said the bill has been sent to all members, but everyone has not received it.”

The Deputy Speaker specifically referred to the Bank Resolution (Amendment) Bill, which was approved by the Cabinet on August 10.

“That bill could have come to Parliament much earlier. The honourable members could have seen it, but it did not come,” he said.

Kaiser Kamal said there was a gap between Cabinet approval and placing bills before Parliament, and urged the executive branch to remain vigilant so that bills reached the legislature on time.

“The bill should reach the 349 honourable members at the appropriate time,” he said.

He also pointed out that sending a bill to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny did not mean that all lawmakers had an opportunity to examine it.

“When you send a bill to the parliamentary committee for scrutiny, you say that it is going to the committee. But for scrutiny, it is not going to all 349 members. Only 10 or 15 members receive it,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker urged the government to ensure that bills are circulated in Parliament in a timely manner, stressing that Parliament is the legislature and its members should have adequate opportunity to examine proposed laws. - GreenWatch Desk with UNB