16 more parliamentary standing committees formed

The Jatiya Sangsad formed 16 more parliamentary standing committees yesterday, all of which are headed by ruling Awami League lawmakers except one by an independent MP.

Independent lawmaker from Sylhet-5 Mohammad Huchamuddin Chowdhury was made chief of the parliamentary standing committee on religious affairs ministry.

Chief of 15 other standing committees are: education ministry (Nurul Islam Nahid), youth and sports (Zahid Ahsan Russel), cultural affairs (Asaduzzaman Noor), health (Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim), women and child affairs (Begum Sagufta Yasmin), Liberation War affairs (Rafiqul Islam), primary and mass education (Aftab Uddin), labour and employment (HM Ibrahim), commerce (Tipu Munshi), fisheries and livestock (SM Rejaul Karim), agriculture (Abdur Razzaque), environment (Dipankar Talukder), disaster management (ASM Firoz), petition committee (Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury) and library committee (Shamsul Haque).

Earlier, 12 of the total 50 standing committees were formed on Sunday, the second day of the first session of 12th parliament formed through the January 7 national election.

Chiefs of all of these standing committees were made from ruling AL lawmakers except for the public accounts committee.

The JS unanimously formed the parliamentary standing committees after Chief Whip Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton placed the chiefs and members of the committees, following approval by the Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Parliamentary standing committees are vital to ensure accountability and transparency of activities of different ministries.