JS panel urges budget allocation to digitise rare parliamentary documents

A parliamentary committee has recommended allocating the necessary budget to digitise old and rare documents preserved at the Jatiya Sangsad Library, aiming to modernise access and preserve historical records.

The recommendation came at the second meeting of the Library Committee of the 13th Parliament, held today (26 April) at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, chaired by Deputy Speaker Kaisar Kamal.

The meeting reviewed progress on decisions taken in the previous session and discussed strengthening collaboration between the Bangladesh Institute of Parliamentary Studies and the parliamentary library to enhance research activities and build capacity among lawmakers and secretariat officials.

Committee members, including Whip ABM Ashraf Uddin, Dr Md Mahabubur Rahman, Nayab Yusuf Ahmed, Mir Ahmad Bin Kasem, ABM Mosharraf Hossain, Humam Qader Chowdhury and Mohammad Najibur Rahman, attended the meeting.

The committee also formed a three-member sub-committee to review and propose the reconstitution of the board formed under the Bangladesh Institute of Parliamentary Studies Act. The panel will be led by Dr Md Mahabubur Rahman, with Nayab Yusuf Ahmed and Mohammad Najibur Rahman as members.

Another sub-committee, led by Nayab Yusuf Ahmed with Mohammad Najibur Rahman as a member, was formed to review the Jatiya Sangsad Library Rules 2012 and the Bangladesh National Parliament Research Policy 2023, and submit a report at the next meeting.

The meeting further recommended distributing the parliamentary bulletin published by the Jatiya Sangsad Library to all lawmakers and ministries.

Officials from the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat were present at the meeting.