Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman today introduced two bills in the parliament, seeking to repeal three ordinances related to judicial independence, appointment of judges and budgetary authority entrusted to the Supreme Court Secretariat.
As part of the supplementary agenda, the minister also placed the National Human Rights Commission (Repeal and Reinstatement) Bill, 2026 to reintroduce the National Human Rights Commission Act, 2009.
Further discussions on the three bills would take place later in the House, the minister said, as there are notes of dissent from members of the parliamentary special committee tasked with scrutinising the 133 ordinances adopted by the interim government.
Three Jamaat-e-Islami MPs issued notes of dissent on all three ordinances related to the apex courts.
Asaduzzaman placed the Supreme Court Judges Appointment (Repeal) Bill, 2026 to repeal the Supreme Court Judges Appointment Ordinance, 2025.
He also introduced the Supreme Court Secretariat (Repeal) Bill, 2026 to repeal both the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance, 2025 and the Supreme Court Secretariat (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.
The ordinances had aimed to create judicial posts and support the development of the judiciary, with budgetary authority entrusted to the Supreme Court Secretariat under the chief justice’s control.
Under the secretariat’s full operation, authority over the transfer, promotion and discipline of lower court judges would also be vested in the Supreme Court.
Although the constitution requires a law for appointing judges, such legislation has yet to be enacted.
In 2025, the interim government issued the Supreme Court Judges Appointment Ordinance to establish a process under which suitable candidates would be selected and the chief justice would advise the president on appointments.
Out of 133 ordinances issued during the interim government, the parliamentary special committee recommended approval of 98 in their original form and 15 in amended form. Of the remaining 20, it proposed repealing four and introducing new bills to strengthen the other 16.
Meanwhile, Land Minister Mizanur Rahman Minu introduced the Land Use Control and Agricultural Land Protection Bill, 2026 to regulate land use and safeguard agricultural land.
Seven bills passed
The National Parliament passed seven bills today.
Six of them approved ordinances that were issued during the interim government: Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, Delimitation of Constituencies (Amendment) Bill, Election Commission Secretariat (Amendment) Bill, Election Officers (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Bill, Voter List (Amendment) Bill and Bangladesh Law Officers (Amendment) Bill. One bill repealed the National Parliament Secretariat (Interim Special Provisions) Ordinance.
Law Minister Asaduzzaman introduced the bills during a session chaired by Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal. With no amendments proposed, he put them to direct voice votes and all were passed without debate.
A special committee had earlier recommended that these ordinances be approved in their existing form, and parliament passed them accordingly.
Point of order and procedural concerns
Standing on a point of order, Jamaat-e-Islami MP Saiful Alam Khan said members had received the 49-page copy of the Voter List (Amendment) Bill only moments before, instead of three days in advance as required.
The deputy speaker acknowledged the procedural rule but cited the speaker’s special authority to condone the time period.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam said all 133 ordinances must be passed by April 9 and due to time constraints copies could not be distributed earlier.
He expressed regret and assured that bills carrying dissent notes or proposed amendments would be presented separately by the next day.
Legislative proceedings resumed following the exchange.
Law minister’s slip-up
A rare and unusual situation arose during the session as the law minister appeared to momentarily err while placing a bill.
When Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal called upon him to introduce the Supreme Court Judges Appointment (Repeal) Bill, the minister mistakenly referred to it as the "Supreme Court Secretariat (Repeal) Bill".
Deputy speaker intervened, reminding the minister that the House was on the Supreme Court Judges Appointment Bill. The law minister acknowledged the mistake but, while repeating, again mentioned the Supreme Court Secretariat Bill. The deputy speaker nonetheless accepted it as the Supreme Court Judges Appointment Bill.
Later, the deputy speaker again invited the law minister to introduce the Supreme Court Secretariat (Repeal) Bill, 2026, which he then formally placed before the House.
