11 Interim Government Ordinances, including Referendum Bill, recommended to repeal

A parliamentary special committee has recommended the repeal of 11 ordinances, including the controversial referendum ordinance, issued by the interim government.

Of the 13-member committee, three opposition MPs submitted a note of dissent, proposing that the ordinances be retained.

The committee’s report was presented in the National Parliament on Thursday (April 2).

It reviewed 133 ordinances issued between August 8, 2024, and February 17, 2026.

The report suggests introducing 98 ordinances as bills in their current form, 15 with amendments, and postponing 16 ordinances for further review before introducing them as bills. Four ordinances were recommended for repeal and safekeeping.

The committee, led by Barishal-3 MP Zainul Abedin, consulted relevant ministry secretaries during three review sessions to assess the necessity of each ordinance.

Among the ordinances proposed for repeal by government MPs were the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance, Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy Ordinance, Police Commission Ordinance, Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance, Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, Supreme Court Judges Appointment Ordinance, Right to Information (Amendment) Ordinance, Microfinance Bank Ordinance, Bank Regulation Ordinance, and the Referendum Ordinance.

Opposition MPs opposed the repeal of these 13 ordinances through a note of dissent.

Additionally, the report notes differing positions on the Revenue Policy and Revenue Management Ordinance 2025 and the National Freedom Fighters Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, with government and opposition MPs disagreeing on their passage and amendments.