Law Lapses In Policy Betrayal

Law Lapses In Policy Betrayal

- Reaz Ahmad

Country’s parliament is sovereign in enacting laws that set rules of the games in a democratic setting. When the parliament remains in session it’s only natural that its members shall employ their intellects, knowledge and wisdom in piloting new bills, discussing the same, scrutinize those and eventually pass the ones which dim fit to help the society advance the rule of law. But one piece of proposed legislation placed before the Jatiya Sangsad on Monday last brought shocks for the country’s scientific community who has long been asking for giving science a better chance in Bangladesh. Among other issues, scientists working in public sector have long been asking for a rise in their retirement age so that scientific research and innovations are not hindered, things are not left half done or incomplete because of early retirements of brains behind promising science projects. However, the bill that was placed on Monday proposed revoking an earlier decision of increasing the retirement age of scientists working in the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), popularly known as science laboratory, from 59 years to 67 years. The proposed legislation titled ‘Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Council (BCSIR) (Amendment) Bill, 2018’ was sent to the parliamentary scrutiny committee for further examination and asked to submit its report within 21 days. If this bill is passed into a law – it’ll have far-reaching bearings on the country’s scientific fraternity. Effectively, it’s regressive in nature and will bring down the science lab’s scientists’ retirement age back to 59 years again.