AL has finally tabled the bill for the Upazila Parishad to the Parliament scrapping the controversial provision of MPs. However its true nature is yet to certain cause the MPs are still regarded as the advisers, only this time Chairmans do not have to heed their word. The Previous CTG did a wonderful job by including this in their bill to augment the local administration.

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The government yesterday placed a bill in parliament seeking revival of the defunct Upazila Parishad Act, 1998, scrapping the controversial provision of the act that made it mandatory for the parishads to follow suggestions of local lawmakers.

If this bill is passed, lawmakers will still be advisers to the upazila parishads in their respective constituencies but the parishad will not have to follow the lawmaker's suggestions. The treasury bench welcomed this move.

The bill was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on LGRD ministry for its report to be placed in the House in the next 15 days.

The lawmakers, who have been demanding their authority to supervise local developments, thumped their desks in support of the bill yesterday. The bill is expected to be passed in the current session.

Many of the newly-elected chairmen and vice-chairmen have been opposing the government move to make lawmakers advisers to upazila parishads fearing it would hamper the running of upazila parishad activities.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam moved the bill yesterday. The bill also proposed repeal of the Upazila Parishad Ordinance, 2008, promulgated by the last caretaker government.

However, it proposed a separate clause to safeguard the January 22, 2009, upazila parishad elections as the effectiveness of the upazila parishad ordinance had expired and the bill itself proposed to repeal the ordinance.

"Election to the upazila parishads and all activities will be deemed to be done under the revived Upazila Parishad Act, 1998," says the bill.

The Awami League-led government in 1998 reintroduced the Upazila Parishad Act with the controversial provision that made lawmakers advisers to the upazila parishads in their constituencies. It also said the upazila parishads shall follow suggestion of the lawmakers in carrying out their activities.

The law was enforced February 1, 1999, in an official gazette but the elections to the upazila parishads was not held till January 22, 2009.

The last caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed first amended the Upazila Parishad Act, 1998, in an ordinance scrapping the provision that made lawmakers advisers to upazila parishads.

Later, it repealed the act and promulgated the Upazila Parishad Ordinance, 2008, introducing two vice-chairman posts, one exclusive for women. The ordinance also made it mandatory for chairmen and vice-chairmen elect to resign from their respective party posts before taking oath.

Yesterday's bill also proposed to keep two vice-chairmen posts in upazila parishads. However, this bill does not have any provisions that make it mandatory for elected chairmen and vice-chairmen to resign from their party posts before taking oath.