United News of Bangladesh

A sub-committee of the Parliament Library Committee has recommended advising the main committee to take steps for selecting a suitable location for the Bangladesh Institute of Parliamentary Studies (BIPS) and appointing a rector for the institute. The recommendation came at the first meeting of the Library Committee’s Sub-Committee No. 3 held at the Jatiya Sangsad Library on Wednesday, according to a press release issued by the Parliament Secretariat. The meeting was chaired by the sub-committee convener Dr Mahabubur Rahman and attended by members Nayab Yusuf Ahmed and Mohammad Nazibur Rahman. During the meeting, discussions were held on preparing a report for submission to the main committee regarding plans to operate the institute in accordance with the Bangladesh Institute of Parliamentary Studies (BIPS) Act, 2001 by integrating the National Parliament Library with the institute. The sub-committee also discussed presenting and reviewing a comparative overview of parliamentary institutes in Asian and Commonwealth countries alongside Bangladesh’s BIPS. To make BIPS operational, it recommended necessary amendments, additions and revisions to the law before placing it in the Library Committee. Meanwhile, the first meeting of Sub-Committee No. 4 of the Jatiya Sangsad Library Committee was also held at the Parliament Library on Wednesday with convener Mohammad Nazibur Rahman in the chair. Committee member Nayab Yusuf Ahmed also attended the meeting. The meeting discussed the National Parliament Library Regulations 2012 and the National Parliament Research Policy 2023. The sub-committee recommended making necessary amendments, additions, deletions and revisions to the National Parliament Library Regulations 2012 before placing the revised document before the main committee.It also directed that the National Parliament Research Policy 2023 be further reviewed and revised for presentation at the next meeting.

Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal on Monday said the Parliament Library can play an important role in preparing objective bulletins and disseminating accurate information. He made the remarks while visiting the Parliament Library at the Jatiya Sangsad complex where he reviewed its activities and preservation system. During the visit, the Deputy Speaker discussed the library’s role in preserving daily news clippings, local and international newspapers, journals, parliamentary debates and the British parliamentary debate record Hansard. Parliament to be centrepiece in building prosperous state: Speaker He stressed the need to accelerate the activities of the Parliament Library through coordination among the Public Works Department and other relevant offices and branches. Kaisar Kamal also instructed officials to ensure the regular preservation of government gazettes and the DLR (Dhaka Law Reports). The Deputy Speaker further discussed ways to ensure the effective and full utilisation of the library with the participation of members of parliament. According to the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, the Deputy Speaker serves as the chair of the Library Committee. Senior officials of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat were present on the occasion.