Tajul made chief of parliamentary watchdog on commerce ministry

Tajul Islam Chowdhury has been made the chief of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Commerce, a first from the main opposition Jatiya Party in the 10th Parliament.

Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina’s proposal to make Opposition Chief Whip Chowdhury the panel chief was approved during Thursday’s proceedings.

JP Chairman HM Ershad had on Sept 10 removed Chowdhury and Mashiur Rahman Ranga, known to be Raushon Ershad loyalists, from the party’s Presidium.

The two leaders had even complained to Prime Minister Hasina about Ershad’s decision.

In the first session of the present Parliament, 50 parliamentary standing committees were formed. But no one from the opposition had been chosen to head any.

In the last Parliament, two MPs from the then main opposition BNP headed two standing committees, while another was headed by an LDP MP.

Tajul Islam Chowdhury (File Photo)

During the previous Parliament’s term, two Jatiya Party MPs had headed two other committees.

Before Tajul Islam Chowdhury, former deputy speaker Md Ali Ashraf headed the parliamentary panel on the commerce ministry.

Ashraf has replaced Chowdhury as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

Chief Whip ASM Feroz on Thursday had proposed on behalf of Hasina the reconstitution of five parliamentary standing committees. They were passed by voice votes.

Apart from the committee on civil aviation ministry, changes also ame in the committees on the LGRD, environment and forest, and water resources ministries.