Speaker of the National Parliament Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has said the opposition party is playing a very cooperative role in the current parliament, adding that the government is very liberal and diligent in making necessary amendments to the Constitution.
The speaker made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with a delegation led by UNDP Resident Representative Stefan Liller at his office in the National Parliament on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed e-governance, e-parliament, various activities of parliamentary standing committees, National Parliament sessions, and the Rules of Procedure.
The speaker said areas of cooperation between UNDP and the National Parliament need to be identified. He suggested that UNDP could assist by conducting orientation courses for new members of parliament to discuss their primary duties, functions, and jurisdictions.
He also proposed that a delegation of members of parliament, especially female members, could exchange bilateral visits with UNDP.
The speaker emphasised the need for a digitised library system in parliament, the use of smart technology in the daily agenda during sessions, and parliament’s own printing and press facilities.
UNDP Resident Representative Stefan Liller described the current parliament as very vibrant and reaffirmed that UNDP remains a long-standing trusted partner of Bangladesh and the National Parliament.
“UNDP’s cooperative activities will continue in the future,” he said.
During the meeting, the two sides also exchanged views on the ongoing fuel crisis and the democratic system, with the UNDP delegation praising the neutral stance of European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
The meeting was also attended by UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Sonali Dayaratne, Assistant Resident Representative Anwarul Haq, Assistant Programme Adviser (Governance) Dragon Popovic, Senior Governance Specialist Tanvir Mahmud, UNDP Parliamentary Focal Person Mahmudul Hasan, and senior officials of the National Parliament Secretariat.
