Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Chairperson Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Thursday urged the parliament members of CPA member countries to work together to strengthen parliamentary democracy.
“Parliament is the focal point of all activities in a parliamentary democracy,” she said in her presidential speech at a session of the 26th Commonwealth Parliamentary Seminar in the city.
The seminar began at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on May 18 with the theme ‘Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy’. Speaker Shirin
Sharmin formally inaugurated the seminar on that day.
On the fourth day of the seminar on Thursday, the speaker presided over a session titled ‘Conclusion and Way Forward.’
The speaker termed the seminar ‘significant and meaningful’ and said the ideas that came out from the seminar would play a very important role in strengthening parliamentary democracy.
Representatives from CPA countries Marwick Khumalo, MP, Lim Blow Chuan, MP, Barry House, LMC, and Heather Cooke addressed the session as panel speakers. Earlier, Dr. Mohammad Abdur Razzak, MP, Marwick Khumalo, MP, and Barry House, LMC, addressed as resource persons a session on ‘Relationship between the Parliament, the Executive and the People.
Besides, Dr. Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, MP, and Auditor and Comptroller General Masud Ahmed addressed as resource persons a session on ‘Financial Responsibility in the Democratic Process.’
Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury took part in those sessions.
Besides from Bangladesh, 35 MPs and representatives from 17 countries took part in the seminar.
