Cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam has said that the government holding office since the declaration of the general election schedule is the polls-time government.
The constitution does not say anything specific about an election time government, he told reporters on Monday after a Cabinet meeting.
In response to a question from journalists, he said: “Call it an election-time government or whatever, these are names we have created. These are not constitutional terms.
“The government that has been in office since the declaration of the election schedule is the election-time government. And passing laws is part of this government’s routine work.”
‘Passing laws is routine work’
The secretary said the Cabinet approving the draft of two new laws in Monday’s meeting was part of routine work.
The Cabinet gave approval on principle to the Bangladesh Tariff Commission (Amendment) Bill 2016 and retroactive approval to Addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade.
In response to reporters’ queries as to whether the government can do this after the election schedule is announced, he said: “There are no constitutional barriers to this. These can be called routine work. There are no development projects here.”
In response to another question, Shafiul said the four technocrat ministers who have resigned were present at the Cabinet meeting today.
“They have tendered their resignations, but as per the constitution until a gazette is issued on their resignation, they will remain ministers,” he explained.