Regarding the Education Ministry's recommendation to raise the age limit for government jobs, Minister of Public Administration Farhad Hossain said it is subject to government policy. "A decision in this regard would be made in consultation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, adhering to her directives," he said. Talking to UNB, Farhad Hossain said Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury has recommended that the age limit for entry into government jobs should be 35 years in general and 37 years in the case of quota. Recently, he sent a letter to the Minister of Public Administration with this recommendation. "But the age limit for entry into govt jobs is a matter of policy decision of the state. A decision in this regard will be taken after it is presented to the Prime Minister." Dhaka to have 22 cattle markets for Eid-ul-Azha 2024 "Any policy decision follows a process. We will consult with the Prime Minister over the issue and proceed with her suggestions", he added. The minister also said if the age of entry to the job is increased, the recruitment policy should be changed. We have to do special work on it. "Only after discussion with the Prime Minister, we can say whether it will be done or not or when it will be done," the minister said. He said, "These issues have already been placed in front of the Prime Minister.  The Members of Parliament of the 11th Parliament raised questions about this, I myself answered those questions and the Prime Minister also answered some of those questions. There she said, the age limit for entering the job will be 30 years, but in the case of children of freedom fighters, it will be 32 years. 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041: Government undertakes 8 strategic initiatives The government has increased the retirement age from 57 to 59 years, he said, adding that the entry age has also been increased from 27 years to 30 years. "If the entry age is increased, then we have to think about the age of retirement and it's a matter." The Prime Minister has clarified these issues very nicely, Minister Farhad said.

President Abdul Hamid on Monday convened the 21st session of the 11th Parliament on January 5, 2023. The President convened the first session of 2023, exercising the power bestowed upon him as per the Clause (1) of Article 72 of the constitution, said a press release of Parliament Secretariat. The winter session will begin at 4pm on January 5. Read more: PM thanks JaPa for playing positive role in parliamentary democracy The President has to address the first parliament session in a new year, according to Article 73(2) of the Constitution. Later, there’ll be a discussion over a thanksgiving motion on the President’s speech in the House during the session. Earlier, the 20th session of the current parliament was prorogued on November 06 only after six sittings. So, the House is going into session after a recess of 59 days. Read more: 5 parliamentary seats now vacant after BNP MPs’ resignation: Speaker

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Sunday nominated a five-member panel of chairpersons for the 18th session of the 11th parliament. The panel members are Shamsul Islam Tuku, AB Tajul Islam, Muhibur Rahman Manik, Mujibul Huq Chunnu and Hamima Akhter Khanom. Also read: Parliament goes into budget session They will conduct the House proceedings in chronological order in the absence of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.

The 16th session of the 11th Parliament, also known as winter session, began at 4pm on Sunday with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. President Abdul Hamid started addressing the Jatiya Sangsad during the maiden session of 2022 as per the Article 73 (2) of the Constitution that states the President shall address Parliament at the commencement of the first session of every year. Later, a general discussion will be held over thanksgiving motion on the President’s speech. The MPs across the board are supposed to participate in the discussion before the adoption of the motion by Parliament. Earlier, the Cabinet approved the President’s speech. Also read: President Hamid urges transparency in govt activities Meanwhile, the Speaker nominated a five-member panel of Chairmen at the outset of the first sitting of the session. The panel members are Md Abdus Shahid (Moulvibazar-4), AB Tajul Islam (Brahmanbaria-6), Md Mujibul Haque (Kishoreganj-3), Manjur Hossain (Faridpur-1) and Parveen Haque Sikder (Women Seat-39). The nominated members will conduct the proceedings of Parliament in chronological order in absence of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. Since this session is being held amid the Covid-19 pandemic, all health protocols would be maintained, according to the Parliament Secretariat. Also read: JS goes into session Sunday The last session (15th) of the current parliament was prorogued on November 28. On January 1 last, President Abdul Hamid, also the Head of the State, convened the 16th session of 11th Parliament exercising the power bestowed upon him as per the Article 72 (1) of the Constitution.

President Abdul Hamid on Sunday called for establishing transparency and accountable good governance in  government activities to make  democracy more effective. "Democracy needs to be made more effective ...... by ensuring proper participation of the people in all government activities," he said  addressing thecParliament in the New Year's first session. This was also the 16th session of the 11th parliament. The president said that the government’s expenditure has increased due to huge increase of government’s development activities over the past one-and-a-half decade. He also urged to maintain caution in all matters related to  projects to prevent misuse of government funds.  Read:Islamic Front and NAP discuss formation of EC with President Hamid "It is necessary to ensure 100 percent implementation of the project by adopting time bound action plan,” he added. According to the constitution, the president  addresses the House in the first session of New Year highlighting progrmmes and achievements of the government. The president’s speech was approved earlier by the cabinet. Mentioning people as the source of all power  the President urged the legislators to keep public interest over everything else. Hamid called upon members  of the treasury and opposition benches to play their due role in the House. The president called for building national conference on basic issues of democeacy. rule of law and development. He said  the new generation  should be gifted a safe, happy, beautiful and prosperous Bangladesh as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He  said peace and stability is prevailing in the country due to the zero tolerance policy of the government against terrorism and militancy,  He said that the government is trying to ensure that people from all communities of the country can practice their religion in harmony while religious festivals of all communities including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians are  celebrated peacefully in a solemn and festive atmosphere.

The fourteenth session of the 11th parliament was prorogued on Thursday, after only seven sittings as it was another short session amid the Covid pandemic. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the prorogation order of the President. Earlier, Leader of the Parliament and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Parliament GM Quader delivered their concluding speeches. Nine bills were placed in the session that began on the first day of this month. During the brief session, 31 important notices under section 71 of the rules of procedure were received, but none of them was discussed. Read: Medical Degrees (Repeal) Bill goes through Parliament Twenty-four questions were received for prime minister’s question-answer session and she replied to 16 of them. The session also received 584 questions for different ministers with the minsters answering 389 ones. Only a limited number of MPs joined the parliament session maintaining health safety rules due to the pandemic. There was a parliament sitting of this session on Friday, which is unusual as the day is a public holiday.    Before reading out the prorogation order, the Speaker thanked all the MPs of treasury and opposition benches and all other officials concerned for their cooperation in holding the session smoothly.

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Raushon Ershad on Sunday urged the government to employ its maximum energy and strength to tackle the rapid surge in coronavirus infections. “Experts fear the situation will be dire the way corona infection is growing. Hospitals mow can’t accommodate patients. Under such a situation, it’s very difficult to control the virus spread,” she said. Delivering her valedictory speech at the 12th session of the 11th parliament, Raushon said the corona-testing capacity should be increased further as people now cannot undergo tests after waiting for hours. Also read: Perform duties properly to enforce Corona directives: PM “The facilities for isolation must be enhanced. Maximum strength must be employed to tackle the corona infections,” she added. The opposition leader deplored that people are showing apathy to health safety rules amid the spike in the Covid cases in Bangladesh. “There’s hardly any caution among people. The 18-point directive announced by the government is barely followed. People don't wear masks. They get annoyed if they’re given sanitiser. Many people are walking around the book fair without masks,” Raushon observed. She appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her untiring efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak.  “The Prime Minister has been working round the clock to prevent the corona infections. What will be the outcome, if we don’t be cautious?” Also read: Raushon gives credit to JaPa for country’s progress The opposition leader said people need to be cautious and provide the government with all-out cooperation by maintaining its directives to slow down the virus transmission. She said Bangladesh has got the status of a developing country while the country’s GDP growth rate has marked a significant rise. “The average life expectancy has increased over the few years. Metrorail is being constructed for the development of public transport and the construction of Padma Bridge is nearing completion. The standard of living has also improved. But inequality has increased seriously,” Rahuson said. She said instability and people’s sense of insecurity have increased, too.” We still couldn’t ensure safe food for people. Three lakh people are getting infected with various diseases every year by consuming adulterated food,” she lamented. Also read: Those who wanted to erase Bangabandhu's name have been wiped out of history: Raushon Ershad

Parliament on Thursday unanimously adopted a condolence motion expressing profound grief at the demise of a sitting MP Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury and some noted personalities. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the condolence motion in the House in the beginning of the 12th session of the 11th Parliament. As per the tradition, the day’s business of Parliament was adjourned after the adaptation of the condolence over the death of sitting Awami League MP Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury, who was elected from Sylhet-3 constituency, in order to pay respect to him. Samad Chowdhury, 66, died of Covid-19 in a city hospital on March 12 last. Besides, the House expressed deep shock at the death of PM’s political adviser Hossain Toufique Imam (HT Imam), former Prime Minister Moudud Ahmed (Six-time MP from Noakhali-5 and Bogura-7), former state minister Mohammad Aman Ullah (four-time MP from Mymensingh-11) and three other former MPs. Also read: JS adopts condolence motion at deaths of ex-MPs, noted personalities The three other ex-MPs are Toabur Rahim (ex-member of Ganoparishad and also member of 1st parliament from the then Sylhet-14), Abdul Majid Mandal (MP in 10th Parliament from Siranganj-5) and Monsur Ahmed (two-time MP from Satkhira-4). Parliament also expressed deep shock at the death of noted personalities, including Editor of the daily Janakantha and freedom fighter Atikullah Khan Masud, Chairman of Sikder Group of Industries Zainul Haque Sikder (who is also the father of Parveen Haque Sikder), Language Movement veteran Ali Taher Majumdar, noted columnist and journalist Syed Abul Maksud, senior journalist and former president of Projonmo-71 Shahin Reza Noor, Awami League’s advisory council member Abul Hasnat and former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled. Besides, the House expressed profound grief at the death of those who lost being affected the coronavirus in home and abroad, the 17 people of Pirganj who were killed in the recent road accident at Katakhali in Rajshahi, and the lives lost in accidents in other places at home and abroad. A one-minute silence was observed and a munajat offered seeking the eternal peace to the departed soul. Deputy Speaker Md Fazle Rabbi Miah conducted the munajat. Before passing the condolence motion, Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and a number of MPs took part in discussions. Also read: JS adopts condolence motion on MP Ismat Ara Sadique’s death The Prime Minister said Samad Chowdhury was a good organiser and politically a very conscious man.   She said Samad got involved with Chhatra League in his student life and he always was engaged in the Awami League’s politics. “He had a great interest in working for people,” she said, adding that the politics of Sylhet has incurred a huge loss with his death. Besides, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan (Panchagarh-2), Opposition chief whip Mashiur Rahman Ranga (Rangpur-1), Awami League MPs Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim (Gopalganj-2), Muhammad Faruk Khan (Gopalganj-1), Nurul Islam Nahid (Sylhet-6), Md Abdus Shahid (Maulvibazar-4), Nesar Ahmed (Maulvibazar-3) and Enamul Haque (Rajshahi-4), Jatiya Party MP Pir Fazlur Rahman (Sunamganj-4) and BNP MP Md Harunur Rashid (Chapainawabganj-3) also joined the discussion.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has banned carrying firearms and holding rallies, processions or agitation in and around Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban ahead of the 12th session of the 11th parliament, scheduled to begin April 1. The DMP’s restrictions will be effective from 12am on Wednesday night, police said in a press release on Tuesday. DMP said the ban would be in force until the end of the session. The restrictions have been imposed to maintain law and order in and around the parliament area to ensure undisrupted holding of the coming session. The restricted areas are Mohakhali crossing of Mymensingh Road to Bangla Motor crossing via Old Airport Road, the western part of Bangla Motor Link Road to Saarc Fountain at Sonargaon crossing, the eastern part of Panthapath to Farmgate via Green Road Link Road, Shyamoli crossing to Dhanmondi 16 (old 27) Link Road on Mirpur Road, Rokeya Sarani Link Road to Bijoy Sarani Parjatan crossing via old 9th division (airplane) crossing, the eastern part of Indira Road to Manik Mia Avenue's western part, and restricted parts of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban and all the roads and lanes in the area.

The 11th session of the 11th Parliament was prorogued on Tuesday soon after the House unanimously adopted the thanksgiving motion on the President's speech in the first session of the new calendar year of 2021.