Speaker opens C\\\'wealth parliamentarians\\\' confce

Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) executive committee and Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury Monday inaugurated the four-day conference at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city, reports BSS.

"CPA is an active network to promote good parliamentary practice and advance parliamentary democracy," she said at the event.

She urged all, including parliament members, to work together to further strengthen parliamentary democracy across the world.

The 26th annual seminar will be attended by 50 parliamentarians from different countries under nine commonwealth zones with the theme "Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy", a Parliament Secretariat press release said in Dhaka on Monday.

A total of 13 sessions will be held on different topics including - "The Commonwealth and the Role of the CPA", "The Parliamentary and Political Scene in Bangladesh", "The Member of Parliament and the Party", "Parliament, Gender and Human Rights" and Parliament, the Member and the Media".

Along with the foreign parliamentarians, veteran parliamentarians from Bangladesh are expected to present keynote papers in five sessions.

Established in 1911, CPA is the oldest organisation in the Commonwealth.