Govt won’t ban parties based on religion

RELIGIOUS PARTIES

At a regular weekly cabinet meeting on October 18 with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, it was stated that the government has no plan to ban any religion-based political party. A minister, who attended the meeting, preferring anonymity, informed reporters that the government would hold talks with the religion-based political parties, barring the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, to clear confusion on the matter.

According to him, the premier also directed the ministers to explain the government’s position vis-à-vis the issue of banning religion-based political parties among the people.


Quoting the prime minister, the minister said, “We should not give opportunity to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami to spread canard among the people on the banning of religion-based political parties. We should make it clear that the government is not contemplating any ban on the religion-based political parties.”
On the issue of reprinting the Constitution, he said the meeting decided to re-print it soon as per the Supreme Court verdict, and added that “if there is any suggestion from the Parliamentary Special Committee on Amendment of the Constitution, it will also be accommodated by re-printing the Constitution again”.
Besides, the cabinet also summed up the 22-month performance of the government, and approved the list of annual holidays for 2011.
Later, Press Secretary to PM Abul Kalam Azad at a press briefing said 10 cabinet meetings were held in the last three months, where 56 decisions were taken.
Among the decisions, 30 were implemented and 20 were in the process of implementation, he added.
Azad further said 554 decisions were taken in 84 cabinet meetings in the last 22 months. Of them, 488 decisions were implemented and 66 were yet to be implemented. “The government has formulated 126 necessary laws within the period,” he added.
Referring to the performance of the BNP-led four-party alliance government, Azad said they had taken 292 decisions in 77 cabinet meetings in 22 months, and formulated 69 necessary laws within the period. He said the cabinet approved the annual holidays for the year 2011. As per the holidays list, the government offices would be closed eight days as per the executive order and public holidays would consist of 14 days. Optional holidays would be five days for Muslims, eight days for Hindus, eight days for Christians and eight days for Buddhists.
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