A parliamentary panel has recommended reverting the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC) to its original name after independence hero 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

"The BNP-led government changed the name of the conference centre though its original name was Bangabandhu International Conference Centre," A B M Fazle Karim Chowdhury, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on housing and public works, told bdnews24.com after its meeting on Sunday at parliament building. "So, the committee has recommended its previous name be restored. We hope the name will be changed in the next seven days."

State minister for housing and public works M A Mannan told the meeting that the conference centre was the property of his ministry, but in 2002 foreign ministry changed its name, according to the committee members.

The BCFCC, one of the world's biggest and most modern convention centres, was constructed at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with the technical and financial assistance of China and was originally intended to house the 13th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Chowdhury, an Awami MP, said the committee also recommended removing Talukder Filing Station at Asad gate from the parliament premises. "The fuel station was set up by irregular means. Two years ago, the ministry asked the fuel station operators to remove its facilities. "But they continued their business by managing some officials dealing with the issue," he said.

Earlier, a high-level committee on parliament's security asked the ministry to remove the fuel station on security grounds. In late 1970s, the government had allowed the Public Works Department to run the fuel station for raising fund for its club.

bdnews