BNP likely to skip opening day’s sitting

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party is unlikely to attend the opening day's sitting of the next session of the ninth parliament, but may join the house any day after placement of the national budget for the 2011-12 fiscal.

Parliament goes into session tomorrow.

Several BNP lawmakers talking to New Age hinted the party would not join the

opening day's sitting of the session, but sources in the party high command said the opposition might join the session after the national budget was placed.

'Till date, no decision has been made on joining parliament session. Furthermore, what is the point of joining parliament where we cannot speak of nationally important issues,' BNP standing committee member MK Anwar told New Age.   

'The government has made parliament ineffective as it is taking decisions from the court on issues which should be made in the house,' he alleged.   

Opposition chip whip Zainul Abdin Farroque said they were not going back to parliament at the start of the session.

'There is no reason to join parliament,' he told New Age. 'Moreover, we do not know why this session has been summoned. Is it a budget session or a session to amend the constitution?'

He, however, said the BNP parliamentary party would disclose its stand on joining the next session at a press conference on Sunday.  

When contacted, BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed, also a lawmaker, said a decision would be taken after the party chairperson returns home on May 29.

BNP walked out of the last session of parliament on its concluding day on March 28. The main opposition party returned after boycotting sittings for 74 consecutive days since June last year.

It will be the ninth session of the current parliament that went into its inaugural session on January 25, 2009.

The president, Zillur Rahman, on May 5 summoned the 9th session of the 9th parliament at 4:00pm on May 22, according to an official handout.

The chief whip of parliament, Abdus Shahid, said it would be the budget session.

As there is an obligation for beginning the next session by the 22nd of this month, the speaker, Abdul Hamid, and the leader of the house, Sheikh Hasina, also the prime minister, decided to continue the session for placing the national budget for 2011-12 fiscal year, said Abdus Shahid.

The eighth session of the ninth parliament ended on March 24. According to Article 72 of the constitution, the gap between two sessions shall not exceed 60 days.

The finance minister, AMA Muhith, is likely to place the budget in the house on June 9.

The parliamentary special committee on constitutional amendment may place its report along with a draft bill for bringing changes to the constitution in the next parliament session.

Source: New Age