Staff Correspondent

The government is going to delegate all administrative and financial powers of the parliament secretariat to the adviser for parliamentary affairs, as parliament was dissolved and the speaker resigned following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister on 5 August this year amidst a student-led uprising.

In a meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday at his office, the advisory council granted both initial and final approval to the draft ordinance titled “National Parliament Secretariat (Special Interim Provision) Ordinance, 2024.”

A press release from the chief adviser’s press wing explained that a day after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and fleeing the country, the President dissolved the 12th National Parliament. The Speaker of the 12th National Parliament also subsequently resigned.

“In the Speaker's absence, daily administrative and financial duties within the secretariat, including staff hiring, role creation or abolition, annual budget preparation, and promotion to Grade 3 and above, encountered hurdles. To address these, the Parliament Secretariat forwarded a draft ordinance to the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division proposing that interim administrative and financial powers be transferred to the adviser for parliamentary affairs,” reads the release.

It added that under the National Parliament Secretariat Act of 1994, the speaker serves as the administrative head of the secretariat, vested with full authority over its functions and accountable to parliament. However, in the absence of the speaker, the proposed ordinance would temporarily transfer these powers – including role creation and abolition, staffing, annual budget planning, promotions to Grade 3 and above, and employment rule amendments (excluding parliamentary duties under Article 74 of the constitution) – to the adviser for parliamentary affairs.

Additional administrative and financial responsibilities will be conferred upon the secretary of the secretariat.

The proposal also suggests forming an interim Parliament Secretariat Commission, chaired by the adviser for parliamentary affairs.

Maximum of four attempts for BCS exams

The advisory council has also decided that candidates will be allowed a maximum of four attempts at the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination.

According to a recent notice, the Ministry of Public Administration will update the Bangladesh Civil Service (Age, Qualification, and Examination for Direct Recruitment) Rules, 2014, under Section 59 of the Government Service Act, 2018, to reflect this limit on exam attempts, per the provisions of the Maximum Age Limit Ordinance, 2024.

Previously, the council raised the age limit for government job applications 32 year from 30 years and stipulated that candidates could sit the BCS exam no more than three times.

Bangladesh-Gambia visa exemption agreement approved

The advisory council approved a draft agreement titled “Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Gambia and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh on Exemption from Visa Requirement for Holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports.”

Bangladesh has now signed visa exemption agreements with 29 countries, including 21 in Asia, four in Europe, one in Africa, and three in the Americas, allowing diplomatic and official passport holders visa-free entry for a specified period.

The council also approved the draft agreement on maritime transport cooperation under the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), an organisation comprising seven member states – Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

The proposed agreement, which aims to bolster shipping and maritime transport among these nations, will be signed at the upcoming BIMSTEC summit.

National Project Evaluation Policy draft delayed

The advisory council reviewed but did not approve the draft of the National Project Evaluation Policy, 2024.

It instead directed the Planning Division and the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division under the planning ministry to coordinate efforts to restructure the “Government Sector Development Project Formulation, Processing, Approval, and Amendment Guidelines, 2022” to include project implementation monitoring and evaluation.