Bill to increase tenure placed at JS

The “Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Bill 2018” was placed in Jatiya Sangsad last night aimed at increasing the tenure of the reserved seat system for 25 years from the first session of the 11th parliament.

Law Minister Anisul Huq placed the bill before the House with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.

According to the Article 65 (3) of the constitution, 50 seats would be reserved exclusively for women in parliament for 10 years.

The 10-year tenure of reserved seat system is going to end on January 24, 2019. The incumbent 10th parliament has 350 members -- 300 elected in general elections and 50 MPs from seats reserved for women.

In 2004, the government brought the 14th amendment to the constitution to introduce the reserved seats.