Parliamentary watchdogs of the ninth Jatiya Sangsad have started wrapping up their oversight and law scrutiny duties, which gives a strong signal that the Awami League-led parliament may expire any time after October 26.
A good number of the all-party parliamentary standing committees have already announced that they will not hold any more meetings while the chiefs of other committees have hinted about not holding any meeting after mid-October.
There has been confusion among people as well as the political parties as to when parliament will be dissolved since the cabinet secretary recently said the current parliament would not go into any session after October 26 but would exist up to January 24 next year.
“We already had our last meeting on September 3. As the last [parliament] session ends before October 26, we do not need to hold further meetings. If necessary, we can sit to exchange greetings among the members,” ABM Anwarul Hoque, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on disaster management, told the Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday.
Anwarul Hoque, who is also a member of the parliamentary standing committee on water resources, said the watchdog on water resources ministry had its last meeting on September 1.
The parliamentary committee on private members bills and resolutions had its last meeting on Tuesday.
Committee Chairman Abdul Matin Khasru said they had finished all their businesses and did not need any more meetings.
Rahmat Ali, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on local government ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune that his committee could hold at best one more meeting by mid-October.
“We will not remain MPs after October; so, how will we hold meetings then?” the former state minister for local government said when asked if the standing committee could meet after October 26.
Rahmat, however, declined to comment on the ruling party’s announcement to hold the 10th parliamentary polls keeping the current parliament alive up to January 24 when the Awami League government will complete its five-year tenure.
Abul Kashem, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune that he would hold one meeting before the last session of parliament.
The ninth parliament has 51 standing committees – most of them are on each of the ministries. Most of the standing committees, assigned to ensure transparency and accountability of the executive, consist of 10 MPs according to party strength.
The constitution stipulates that the Election Commission must hold the general elections within 90 days before the government completes its five-year tenure. As has been the parliamentary practice, the ninth Jatiya Sangsad will be dissolved on October 26.
The original constitution adopted in 1972 had a similar provision for holding polls, but the EC could not hold the general elections in line with the guidelines as no parliament up to 2001 could complete their tenures.
In 1996, the 1972 provision was changed by incorporating the provision of holding the polls under a non-party caretaker government, which would take office after an elected government completed its full five-year tenure. The non-party caretaker government would hold the polls within 90 days after the tenure.
On June 30, 2011, the present Awami League government restored the 1972 provision of holding the polls in 90 days before completion of the mandated five years. This is for the first time the constitutional provision is going to be implemented after 41 years of its adoption.
