The 10th parliament is set to see the first bill that will provide a 50% raise to the chief justice and the judges of the High Court and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
According to the order of the day approved by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Law Minister Anisul Huq is scheduled to table the Supreme Court Judges’ (remuneration and privileges) Bill, 2014 today.
The bill, if passed, will amend the existing Supreme Court Judges’ (remuneration and privileges) Ordinance, 1978.
The proposed law says the judges will get 50% of their basic salaries as special allowance every month.
If the bill is passed, in addition to the chief justice and the judges, the commissioners of the Anti-Corruption Commission and other autonomous bodies will also get a similar allowance, law ministry officials say.
Since its opening sitting on January 29, the government has not tabled any bill in the last 20 sittings of the 10th Jatiya Sangsad, practically devoid of a true opposition.
Parliament will resume its sitting tomorrow after a five-day recess.
After its initiation in the House, the bill will go to the 10-member parliamentary standing committee on law ministry headed by former railways minister Suranjit Sengupta.
The watchdog will examine the bill and bring out changes to it, if necessary. The standing committee will then place a recommendation for its passagein the House.