Parliament extends women reserve seats for 25 more yrs

Published : 09 Jul 2018, 12:00

Jagoroniya Desk

The Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday passed the Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Bill-2018 to extend the tenure of the women reserve seat for more 25 years, with a view to ensuring women participation and empowerment of women in the legislation.

Law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister Anisul Haq moved the bill in the House, which was passed in an amended form as per the recommendation of the standing committee, unanimously by division votes with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.

Piloting the proposed bill, the minister said as per article 3 of section 65 of the constitution, the ten-year tenure of the 50 women reserve seats in parliament will expire on 28 January 2019.

“If the tenure of the 50 women seats is not extended through the amendment of the constitution then the provision of the women reserve seat will be abolished from the constitution,” he added.

Under the proposed bill, law minister said the ratification of the proposed bill will extend the tenure of the women reserve to 25 years. Side by side, any woman can contest in the election directly from any place and any constituency across the country under Article 2 of the section 65 of the constitution, he said.

The provision of the women reserve seats was extended for three times by increasing to 30 as per the Constitution (Tenth Amendment) Act in 1990, then increased to 45 as per the Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment) Act, 2004 and finally increased to 50 as per the Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Act in 2011.

Source: bss

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