Cabinet to get smaller during poll: PM

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UNB, Dhaka :
Reiterating her government’s stance that there will be no unconstitutional government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday made it clear in Parliament that the size of the cabinet will get smaller during the next general election.
“According to Article 126 of the Constitution, the Election Commission will perform its duty and the size of the cabinet will get smaller. The government will only carry out routine works and not take any policy decision during the election,” she said responding to a starred question from treasury bench member Tanveer Imam (Sirajganj-4).
Sheikh Hasina said she earlier spoke about the election-time government in her address to the nation.
Noting that the Constitution is the supreme law of the country, she said, “There’s no provision in the Constitution to form any government like ‘election-supportive government’.”
Hasina said BNP had never been in favour of the continuation of democratic process. “So, the party is now demanding for ‘supportive government’ unconstitutionally, which is in no way acceptable. Our government will always uphold the democracy.
The Prime Minister further said, “We won’t accept any anti-constitutional government system.”
She said BNP was founded in an illegal way through the declaration of martial law violating the Constitution. “So, it’s the habit of the party to place illegal demands.”
In reply to a supplementary question from Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam (Mymensingh-8), Hasina said her government has no plan right now to raise the retirement age limit of public servants.
She said the Awami League government extended the retirement age limit from 57 years to 59 years for the public servants after assuming office.
If the retirement age limit is extended further, the promotion scopes for subordinates and employment scope for jobseekers will decline, the Prime Minister told the House.
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