MPs should also focus on implementation

Parliamentarians should ensure that all legislation, particularly those concerning women, children and gender equality, have an implementation strategy, said Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury yesterday.

“As parliamentarians, we tend to ignore the aspect of implementation as we are more focused on passing the legislation,” she said while addressing a regional seminar for Asia Pacific parliaments.

The three-day seminar titled “Ending the Cycle of Violence against Girls in Asia-Pacific” organised by Bangladesh National Parliament and Inter Parliamentary Union ends today at Sonargaon Hotel.

Parliamentarians from 14 countries attended the seminar.

Addressing a session on the role of parliamentarians in effective implementation of legislation on violence against girls, Shirin Sharmin said the implementation of any law depends on the work of certain authorities like the police administration and the judiciary.

She further opined that every country has laws to combat oppression and discrimination against women, but the ways to evaluate how effectively the laws are implemented still remain inadequate.

She stressed that parliamentarians should not feel that their duty is complete after they have passed a good law.

Presided over by Saber Hossain Chowdhury, a Bangladesh MP, panellists of the session were Sun Saphoeun, a Cambodian MP, and Fazilatun Nessa Indira of Bangladesh.