DHAKA, 19 March 2004 — The four-party alliance government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has introduced an amendment to the constitution reserving 45 parliamentary seats for women despite fierce opposition from women’s rights groups.
If the bill passes, the provision will become effective for the remainder of the present parliament, increasing its strength to 345 from 300.
The women members will be elected by the 300 MPs, according to the bill tabled by Law Minister Maudud Ahmed.
Although the provision will be effective for 10 years from the first session of the next parliament, it will apply immediately under a temporary provision of the bill.
A constitutional provision reserving 30 seats for women expired with the dissolution of the last parliament in July 2001.
The Law Minister, while tabling the bill in the House late Wednesday, said women were also free to contest all other 300 parliamentary seats directly.
On Tuesday, more than 300 women’s rights activists went on a symbolic hunger strike protesting the bill, which they say is discriminatory. “We want election, not reservation,” they said.
Maudud said a major election commitment of his government was to amend the constitution to preserve parliamentary seats for women and ensure women empowerment.
The House has sent the bill for further scrutiny to its standing committee on the Law Ministry, which will report within two weeks.
