All agree on 'July protection' in special committee: Home Minister

The work of reviewing 133 ordinances issued during the interim government is nearing completion, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said. He informed that all members of the special committee have reached consensus on four ordinances related to 'July protection', and these will be presented in parliament without any changes.

The home minister shared this information with journalists after a meeting of the special committee on Wednesday, March 25.

The home minister said the 133 ordinances have been divided into three categories for decision-making. First, some ordinances will be brought to parliament as bills in their current form by the respective ministries. Second, some ordinances will be tabled with necessary amendments. Third, matters on which consensus cannot be reached will lapse during this session and, if necessary, will be introduced as new bills in a subsequent session.

He clarified that according to parliamentary procedure, existing ordinances must be ratified before new bills can be passed to avoid legal complications.

The minister said two key factors—the 'July National Charter' and 'constitutionality'—are being given utmost importance in reviewing the ordinances. "We are giving priority to the July National Charter here. Each bill is being considered in line with protecting constitutionality and public expectations," Salahuddin Ahmed said. While discussions on most ordinances have been completed, he noted that further discussions are needed on some important issues, including the ACC Act and the Human Rights Commission Act.

The home minister said, "The honourable chairperson has scheduled the next session for 8:30 pm on March 29. I hope we can make final decisions on the remaining matters in that evening meeting. The exact number of ordinances finalised can be shared then."

On the July protection ordinances, he reiterated that they were adopted unanimously in the previous meeting and require no changes.