Bangladesh’s Chief Whip, Md. Nurul Islam, held a courtesy meeting with a delegation from the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) at his office on Sunday, where both sides discussed parliamentary democracy, institutional capacity-building and ways to strengthen the effectiveness of the Jatiya Sangsad.
The EPD delegation was led by Acting Executive Director Thijs Berman and Project Director Anastasia S. Wibawa.
During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on promoting democratic governance, enhancing the capacity of democratic institutions and improving the overall functioning of the national parliament.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam said democracy remains the foundation of a country’s development and progress, adding that stronger democratic institutions help safeguard citizens’ rights and enable constitutional bodies to perform their responsibilities more effectively.
He described the Jatiya Sangsad as the cornerstone of the country’s democratic system and noted that many members of the 13th Parliament, including the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Speaker, are serving their first terms. He said strengthening lawmakers’ understanding of the Constitution, parliamentary rules and legislative procedures is essential to making parliament more effective and dynamic.
Speaking during the meeting, Thijs Berman said Bangladesh currently enjoys a positive democratic environment and reaffirmed EPD’s willingness to support initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacity of lawmakers and improving parliamentary effectiveness. He also commended the Chief Whip’s efforts to enhance the performance and functioning of the current parliament.
Senior officials from the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat were also present at the meeting.
