Reserved women MPs represent whole country: Home Minister

Responding to opposition criticism over the role of reserved seat women MPs, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said their responsibilities are not limited to any specific constituency but cover the entire country.

During the 23rd sitting of the 13th Parliament's budget session on Monday, July 13, opposition MP Akhtar Hossain raised a point of order, claiming that a ruling party reserved seat MP had referred to two parliamentary constituencies as her "additional responsibilities" and had been projecting herself as holding more authority than the elected MP in those areas. He expressed concern over a one-party rule.

In response, the home minister said the Constitution provides for 50 reserved women's seats alongside 300 general seats. While MPs from general seats represent specific constituencies, reserved seat MPs have no such geographical boundaries, representing the whole of Bangladesh.

He added that if any reserved seat MP presents herself as responsible for a specific area, it would not be correct; rather, they should identify themselves as representatives of the entire country.

The home minister said reserved seat MPs can spend allocations they receive from various ministries in any part of the country and have the right to perform parliamentary duties anywhere in Bangladesh. However, no separate authority for any specific area is mentioned in the Constitution or law.