Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad on Monday formally assumed the chairmanship of the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
He took over the responsibility from Bhutanese Speaker Tempa Dorji in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Asia-Pacific Group has 37 member countries. With Hafiz Uddin assuming the chairmanship, Bangladesh’s representation in the international parliamentary arena is expected to be further strengthened.
Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat Barrister Md Golam Sorwar Bhuiyan, who is accompanying the Bangladesh parliamentary delegation to Tanzania, confirmed the matter.
The IPU, established in 1889, is the global organisation of national parliaments. It has grown into a global organisation with 183 Member Parliaments and 15 Associate Members.
The Bangladesh parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Hafiz Uddin, left Dhaka for Tanzania on Sunday to attend the 153rd IPU Assembly, being held in Arusha from October 5 to 9.
Meanwhile, Barrister Jahrat Adib Chowdhury, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been elected a member of the IPU Executive Committee from the Asia-Pacific Group.
In the election held on Monday at the 153rd IPU Assembly, she defeated the candidate from Mongolia. The election was held with the participation of representatives from all 37 member countries of the Asia-Pacific Group.
Jahrat’s election to the IPU Executive Committee is considered a significant achievement for Bangladesh in the international parliamentary arena.
The Bangladesh parliamentary delegation members include seven other BNP lawmakers and two Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmakers.
The seven other BNP lawmakers are Whip Miah Nuruddin Ahmad Apu, Sarwar Jamal Nizam, AE Sultan Mahmud Babu, Md Shamshur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Sk Azizul Baree, Humam Quader Chowdhury and Sunsila Jabrin, while the Jamaat MPs are Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem and Rokeya Begum.
This year’s IPU Assembly focuses on the overall theme of Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all.
The Assembly is expected to conclude with the adoption of an outcome document on the overall theme of the General Debate.
The delegation is scheduled to return home on October 11.