The ruling Awami League has decided to enact a private-member law that obliges children to take care of their parents at home or provide them with at least 10% of their incomes if they do not live together.
Chief Whip Abdus Shahid, who communicates the government’s legislative decisions to parliament, told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday that the Parents’ Care Bill 2013 submitted by Jatiya Party MP from Kishoreganj Mujibul Haque would be tabled in parliament as a supplementary agenda.
He said the prime minister had given consent to the bill’s passage “with some changes for the welfare of the common people. I have already communicated the issue to the member [Mujibul] too.”
As per the chief whip’s suggestions, Mujibul Haque has proposed some amendments to his original bill.
Mujibul had initiated the bill on February 3, 2011.
Passage of private members’ bills is uncommon in parliamentary system. Only seven private-member laws, including one in the current ninth Jatiya Sangsad, have so far been enacted in Bangladesh since 1973.
If passed, the law will allow aggrieved parents to file cases against their children if they decline to support them.
“In the main bill, I proposed making the offence [not taking care of parents] non-bailable, but the ruling party wants it to be bailable. Again, I have proposed reducing the punishment from Tk500,000 to Tk100,000,” Mujibul told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday.
The Jatiya Party MP said he had also proposed reducing the jail term from six months to three months for violation of the law. The original bill had also made it “not negotiable,” but Mujibul has now proposed making it “compoundable.”
The bill proposes that in case of more than one child the siblings should discuss the maintenance of their parents. They must guarantee cohabitation with their parents and all their basic necessities.
They can in no way force their parents to live in old homes.
Spouse or any relative, including the in-laws, will be considered as offenders and will be punished if they are proved guilty of having objected to such support.
Those whose parents are dead are bound to take care of their grandparents, if they are alive.
A first class magistrate court will settle cases related to the violation of the law. For mutual settlement, local government representatives such as chairmen, members and others authorised by them will settle the disputes.
Justifying the bill, Mujibul Haque said Bangladesh’s changing society now promoted nucleus family, which left old parents and grandparents helpless and in many cases, old parents were forced to live in old homes while their children lived lavish lives.
All MPs other than the ministers are known as private members, irrespective of their party identities. On every Wednesday, when the assembly is in session, the MPs get the chance to table legislative proposals on any issue they like. These proposals are called private-member bills.
A private-member bill is passed in the House only when the treasury bench wants.
The private-member bills passed in Bangladesh are the Dowry Prohibition Act 1980, the Khulna Development Authority (Amendment) Act 1981, the Introduction of Bengali Language Act 1987, the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Allowances) (Amendment) Act 1993, the Preservation and Display of the Portraits of the Father of the Nation Act 2001, the Preservation and Display of the Portraits of the Father of the Nation (repeal) Act 2001, and the Lepers (Repeal) Act 2011.