DHAKA, 28 April 2004 — The four-party alliance government, having more than two-thirds majority in the 300-member Parliament, is now set to go ahead with the constiturional amendments to create 45 reserved seats of women lawmakers and to incorporate some other provisions permanently.
The Cabinet has approved the Constitution (14th Amendment) Bill in a revised form, incorporating three more amendments to the earlier bill, which proposed six amendments.
The endorsement was given at the weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Cabinet room of the Prime Minister’s Office with Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the chair.
By approving the draft bill, Khaleda Zia and her Cabinet turned down an opposition Awami League demand not to do it.
This is for the first time after 1996 that the constitution is being amended by two-thirds majority. In that year, Khaleda had made the 13th amendment to bring in a non-party caretaker government for supervision of elections in Bangladesh.
The revised Constitution (14th Amendment) Bill approved before the earlier bill, which was under scrutiny by a parliamentary standing committee, was officially withdrawn on Monday night from the Parliament.
The approved bill will be sent to the office of the president, via the Finance Ministry for presidential recommendation, which is required to table the bill in the Parliament. As it involves expenditure from public money, the bill will be sent to the Finance Ministry prior to the president’s office.
The bill will be tabled in the legislature today, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed told reporters in Dhaka yesterday.
After being tabled, the bill will again be sent to the parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny.
