The parliamentary standing committee on the law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry at a meeting yesterday decided to invite opposition lawmakers to its meeting as suggested by Law Minister Moudud Ahmed.

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution Bill, 2004 seeking to introduce 45 women's reserved seats in parliament, display portraits of the president and prime minister in government offices and speedily swear in lawmakers-elect.

The bill was placed in Jatiya Sangsad on March 17 and was sent to the standing committee for scrutiny.

"I will communicate with all opposition parties tomorrow (Sunday) and invite them to attend the next committee meeting for their opinions on the bill," committee Chairman Khandaker Mahbub Uddin Ahmed told The Daily Star after the meeting.

Sources said the committee suspended discussion on the bill scrutiny agenda yesterday for discussion with all opposition representatives including from the AL at 5:30pm at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Monday.

The AL, which is yet to nominate its representatives to parliamentary standing committees on ministries, said it would not respond to the invitation.

"The decision is nothing but eyewash. The ruling party is always treating us in a disgraceful way. Now they have taken the ruse of dialogue for eyewash," AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told The Daily Star yesterday.

Earlier, highlighting the reasons and importance of the bill at the committee meeting, Moudud said opposition lawmakers should be invited to discuss the bill in detail.

He asked the committee chairman to invite Jatiya Party (Ershad) lawmaker Raushan Ershad, Jatiya Party (Manju) lawmaker Anwar Hossain Manju, Krishak Sramik Janata League lawmaker Abdul Kader Siddiqui and independent lawmaker M M Shahin.

Supporting the minister's proposal, ruling BNP lawmaker Harun Al Rashid suggested asking the AL to send its nominees to the committee meeting.

"Whether they participate in the meeting or not, it should be on record that we invited them," he argued.

Emerging from the meeting, the law minister said: "We're not in a hurry to pass the bill."

On the opposition observation that the display of the prime minister's portrait at the president's office as the bill provides for would undermine the office of the head of the state, the prominent lawyer said, "We'll examine the provision before taking a decision."