Saber elected first VP of IPU standing body

4 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Awami League lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury has been elected first vice-president of Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union's (IPU) first standing committee on peace and international security. He was elected at IPU's 122nd assembly held recently in Bangkok where Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali led the 18-member Bangladesh delegation, says a press release. This is the highest position attained so far in the IPU standing committees by a Bangladeshi lawmaker. The first standing committee is currently dealing with organised crimes, trafficking in human, arms and drugs, cross-border terrorism. It will present a report on legislation related to electoral fraud and changes of electoral process in the next assembly. Saber will represent the Asia-Pacific geopolitical group comprising 27 member states in the committee as its vice president for a four-year term. Based in Geneva, IPU was established in 1889 and is the only international organisation of parliaments worldwide with 155 members.