A nine-member delegation of Bangladesh Parliament has left Dhaka for Indonesia to attend the 144th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Home Ministry Shamsul Haque Tuku is leading the delegation, said a release of the Parliament Secretariat on Sunday. Read: Much-hyped EC formation Bill placed in parliament The 144th IPU Assembly is being held in Bali, Indonesia from March 20 to 24. This year's theme of the General Debate of the Assembly is “Getting Zero: Mobilising Parliaments to act on climate change.” Joining the assembly, the Bangladesh Parliamentary delegation is supposed to participate in discussions on different agenda, including climate change, sustainable peace, ICT application in education, and pandemic. The Bangladesh team will also participate in other meetings of the IPU there. Eight other members of the parliamentary delegation are Gazi Mohammad Shahnawaz MP (Habiganj-1), Sayed Abu Hossain MP (Dhaka-4), Khan Ahmed Shuvo MP (Tangail-7), Basanti Chakma MP (Women Seat-9), Kaniz Fatema Ahmed MP (Women-8), Secretary of Parliament Secretariat KM Abdus Salam, its additional secretary Goutom Kumar and deputy secretary Chowdhury Md Hamid Al Mahbub. All IPU statutory bodies, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, Committees on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians and on Middle East Questions, as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young MPs, will convene during this Assembly. Read: Ranga blasts Harun in parliament The General Debate will provide a platform for delegates to deliberate, exchange views and seek to galvanize parliamentary action to address the climate emergency. The Assembly is expected to conclude with the adoption of an outcome document on the overall theme of the General Debate.

Awami League MP Shahiduzzaman Sarker has been made the chief of the parliamentary standing committee on the Law Ministry.The post remained vacant following demise of five times MP and former law minister Abdul Matin Khasru. Read: JS passes bill to ensure proportionate use of iodine in salt, regulate marketKhasru, elected from Cumilla-5 (Brahmmanpara and Burichong Upazila), died on April 14 at the Dhaka Combined Military Hospital.The Parliament Secretariat declared the seat vacant on April 22. Read:BHBFC to have extended areas of services; Bill lands in JSBesides, Waseqa Ayesha Khan, an AL MP elected in reserved seats for women in parliament (Women seat-7) ,was made the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.Shahiduzzaman Sarker was the chairman of this committee. Read: Updated Bankers’ Book Evidence coming, Bill placedChief Whip Noor-e-Alam Chowdhuryon Monday placed the proposal of reconstitution of the parliamentary committees on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Later it was passed in the parliament by voice vote. Parliament also reconstituted parliamentary standing committees on the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry.

The High Court on Tuesday rejected a writ petition filed by ex-Laxmipur-2 lawmaker Shahid Islam Papul's sister challenging the gazette notification that declared the MP’s seat vacant. The bench of Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order after hearing a writ filed by Papul's sister Nurunnahar Begum, said deputy attorney general Nouroz M Russel Chowdhury. Read: Order on writ against declaring Papul's parliamentary seat vacant Tuesday On January 28, a Kuwait court sentenced Papul to four years' jail in a case related to human trafficking, residency visa trading and money laundering. He was also fined around 1.9 million Kuwaiti dinars. On 6 June last year, Papul was arrested in Kuwait. On August 16 of the same year, Abul Fayez Bhuiyan, an independent candidate from the Laxmipur-2 constituency, filed a writ petition challenging the legality of Papul's parliament membership as he had been accused of providing fake documents and submitting fake education certificates. Read: MP Papul’s parliamentary seat declared vacant On February 22 this year, parliament declared the Lakshmipur-2 constituency  vacant following the conviction of Papul on charges of human trafficking and money laundering by a court in Kuwait. The Parliament Secretariat issued a gazette notification declaring that the Laxmipur-2 constituency (Parliamentary Seat-275) fell vacant on January 28, 2021, the date of the court's sentence. According to the gazette, Papul is ineligible to remain an MP under Article 66 (2) of the Constitution as he was sentenced by the Kuwaiti criminal court to four-year rigorous imprisonment on January 28. Read:MP Papul’s conviction: Govt receives verdict copy His seat has remained vacant since the date of the court's sentence according to Article 67 (1) of the Constitution, said the gazette signed by Senior Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan. MP Papul, who won the Lakshmipur-2 seat in the 2018 election as an independent candidate, is now in Kuwait jail.  

The 11th session of the current Parliament will begin on January 18 next as President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday summoned the first session of the new year of 2021.

Accusing the Parliament Secretariat of violating the constitution by distorting the questions of its MPs, BNP on Wednesday said the current parliament has turned into a "rubber-stamp one".