Parliament on Wednesday passed two bills including the Election
Commission Secretariat (Amendment) Bill, 2013 empowering the
commission to appoint its manpower.
The other bill was the Rural Electrification Board Bill, 2013.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Shafique
Ahmed moved the Election Commission Secretariat (Amendment) Bill, 2013
while State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Mohammad
Enamul Haque the Rural Electrification Board Bill, 2013 amid absence
of the opposition.
Both the bills were passed in voice votes. Independent lawmaker Engr
Fazlul Azim brought some amendments to the bills but the House
rejected all amendment proposals.
The Election Commission Secretariat (Amendment) Bill, 2013 was passed
in the House with a provision of incorporating some rules and
regulations for recruitment, transfer and promotion of its officers
and employees in the law.
With passage of the bill the obstruction in appointing its own
manpower was removed. The bill was placed in the House on November 4.
The ‘Bangladesh Rural Electrification (REB) Bill, 2013’ provides
scrapping of the existing ‘Rural Electrification Board Ordinance,
1977’ and making the law more time-befitting.
The objective of the bill states that to remove the difference in
living standard between urban and rural areas, it is necessary to
continue the effective use of power in agriculture revolution, to
flourish cottage industry and other industries in the rural areas, and
for developing the rural economy and infrastructure.
This time the law will be in Bangla. As per the bill, the REB will be
constituted with 12 members where government will appoint the chairman
of the Board. – Staff Reporter
