Staff  Correspondent

The Referendum Ordinance will not be placed in Parliament for approval and is set to be automatically repealed on April 12, according to a decision taken at a meeting of the parliamentary special committee.

Sources from the committee meeting on Sunday night said the BNP believes there is no need to pass the ordinance into law, as the referendum has already been conducted under it. However, Jamaat has expressed dissent over the decision.

Committee member and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed indicated after the meeting that the ordinance has already served its purpose, as the referendum has been completed. Therefore, there is no necessity to approve it in Parliament.

He said the ordinance was issued solely to facilitate the referendum and is not a permanent part of the Constitution. There is also no constitutional obligation mandating referendums, he added.

Besides the referendum ordinance, at least 15 out of the 133 ordinances issued by the interim government remain disputed between the ruling party and the opposition.

The government has proposed changes to ordinances related to the Human Rights Commission, judicial appointments, enforced disappearance prevention, and the Anti-Corruption Commission. Jamaat has opposed these moves and submitted a note of dissent.

The Home Minister said some ordinances will be passed as they are, some will be amended before being placed, and some may not be presented at all. Those not approved could later be introduced as bills.

Committee member Jamaat MP Rafiqul Islam Khan said they have recorded dissent on 15 ordinances, including those related to the referendum. He alleged that the government is trying to reintroduce partisan control over key institutions.

He also raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary and the Anti-Corruption Commission, warning that proposed changes could undermine their autonomy.

Rafiqul Islam argued that the entire nation participated in the referendum. If it is now deemed unconstitutional, he questioned how the parliamentary election held on the same day remains valid. He insisted that the people’s verdict must be implemented.

The special committee is expected to submit its final report to Parliament on April 2. Under the Constitution, any ordinance not approved within 30 days of being placed in the first session will automatically lapse.

The third day of the committee meeting was held in the Parliament’s cabinet room and lasted around three hours, attended by members from both the government and opposition.