The National Parliament has passed the "Transfer of Property (Amendment) Bill, 2026," ensuring that parents retain the lifelong right to enjoy and possess property even after gifting it to their children.

Law Minister Md. Asaduzzaman tabled the bill in the parliamentary session on Sunday (September 6). It was later passed by a voice vote.

According to the bill, if parents, grandparents, or legal guardians gift property to their children or grandchildren (or vice versa), or if property is transferred between spouses, the donor will retain the right to use and enjoy the property for the remainder of their lifetime.

If the recipient dies during the donor's lifetime, the right of enjoyment will remain with the donor, and the property will eventually pass to the recipient's legal heirs in accordance with the law.

In a statement detailing the purpose and reasons behind the bill, the Law Minister stated that while existing laws outline property transfer procedures, they lacked specific provisions allowing a donor to reserve lifetime rights of enjoyment.

The proposed lifetime reservation of enjoyment upon gifting introduces a distinct method of property transfer.

This provision will apply equally to citizens of all faiths and will not affect or conflict with conventional gifts, Heba under Muslim law, or any other legally recognized forms of property transfer.

However, opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman and other opposition MPs strongly protested the bill, calling it contrary to the Quran and Sunnah. The opposition abstained from voting on the bill.

Shafiqur Rahman stated, "My question is, will we uphold or discard the fundamental principles of the Quran? Do we have the right to discard them? I believe this is a very sensitive issue."

Citing several points, he claimed that various aspects of the bill were inconsistent and directly contradictory to existing legal and religious frameworks.

In response, Law Minister Md. Asaduzzaman clarified that property transferred or gifted under this law will not affect Heba, wills (Wasiyat), or any other forms of property transfer in any way. He emphasized that the law was enacted to stand beside helpless, elderly parents.

Speaker Hafizuddin Ahmed subsequently put the bill to a vote, during which opposition MPs walked out of the parliamentary chamber.