Bangladesh Panel Recommends Doubling Parliament Seats to Strengthen Women’s Role

The Women’s Affairs Reform Commission in Bangladesh has proposed a major change to the country’s legislative structure. According to media reports on Saturday, the Commission suggested expanding the number of parliamentary seats from 350 to 600. Under this plan, each parliamentary area would have one general seat and an additional seat specifically reserved for a woman.

Current Setup and New Proposal

Right now, Bangladesh’s parliament holds 350 seats. Of these, 50 are reserved for women. The Commission now wants to add more seats to promote gender equality and ensure better representation for women.

Focus on Equality and Local Development

The panel, formed by the Interim government in November last year, submitted its report to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus earlier in the day, as reported by bdnews24.com. Out of its fifteen recommendations, the panel stressed three key areas: strengthening gender equality, improving legal protections, and making constitutional changes.

The report emphasized the importance of decentralizing power and boosting development at the local level. These steps, the Commission said, are necessary to protect and promote women’s rights and interests.

Yunus Urges Quick Action

After receiving the report, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus urged authorities to begin implementing the recommendations that could be acted upon immediately.

“The recommendations that can be implemented quickly should be executed through us. We can set an example for other countries in the world through this work. Women around the world are looking at this. They will review it and be inspired. Women in other countries are also serious about this,” Yunus said.

He added that the suggestions would be shared with political parties via the National Consensus Commission.

Commission Justifies 600 Seats

At a press briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy, the head of the Commission, Shirin Parveen Haque, explained why they proposed increasing the number of seats to 600.

“If we think about the population, 300 seats are no longer sufficient. So 600 seats seem logical enough. Whether in a discussion or a debate, we believe 600 seats is not too many for this population,” she said.

She further explained that if Bangladesh wants women to participate in the lawmaking process, such a change is necessary. “We must accept it if we want women to be a part of the legislature and make laws. We think it will create a fair and good process in politics,” she added.