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Standing Committee on Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

parliamentary_committee · partial (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head
—
Role
Chairman
Annual budget
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Staff
—
Established
1972
Legal basis
Constitution of Bangladesh, Article 76(1) (as amended): empowers Parliament to appoint standing committees. Bangladesh Parliament's Rules of Procedure (Chapter XIV) requires a ministry-shadowing standing committee for each of the 43 ministries/divisions. Constitutional basis for the parent ministry: Article 55 (Cabinet formation) and Article 58C (as modified).

The Standing Committee on Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has NOT been constituted for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad as of 17 May 2026. The first session (March 12 to April 30, 2026) formed only five procedural standing committees and two special committees; all 43 ministry-shadowing standing committees remain pending. Judicial reform legislation -- most prominently the repeal of three Supreme Court-related ordinances on April 9, 2026 -- was processed directly on the floor via a general Special Committee, bypassing this committee. The Constitutional Reform Council (mandated by the July 2024 Charter to draft constitutional amendments) is paralysed: BNP members have not taken oath as council members, while 77 Jamaat-led opposition members have. The budget session begins June 7, 2026, when ministry-wise committees may be constituted.

Recent activity

Provenance & notes

Verification status is PARTIAL because the committee has not been constituted for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (elected February 12, 2026; first session March 12 to April 30, 2026). Current_head is null: no chairman has been appointed because the committee does not yet exist for this parliament. The established_year of 1972 reflects the constitutional origin of parliamentary standing committees under Article 76, which has existed since Bangladesh's first constitution; the committee in its ministry-shadowing form was institutionalised through the Rules of Procedure adopted by successive parliaments. In prior parliaments (9th, 10th, 11th) the committee had 8-15 members per the Rules of Procedure; chairmanship historically went to a treasury-bench MP. The five committees formed during the first session are: Business Advisory Committee (chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad), Whips/parliamentary committee (Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni), Special Committee on 133 ordinances (Zainul Abedin, Barishal-3), Standing Committee of Privileges (Speaker), and Committee on Private Members' Bills (M Shahjahan, Noakhali-4). All ministry-wise standing committees -- 43 in total -- remain to be constituted, expected no earlier than the budget session (June 7, 2026). The SC Judge Appointment Repeal Bill (April 9, 2026) was reviewed only by the general Special Committee before floor passage, not by this standing committee. Activity score of 3 reflects significant legislative activity in parliament on law-related matters (judicial ordinance repeals, constitutional reform paralysis) even though the committee itself is not yet formed.

Sources