Staff Reporter
The opposition BNP has decided not only to abstain from attending the parliament sessions but also to avoid the special committee meetings from now on.
The decision was taken at BNP Parliamentary Party [BNPPP] meeting held at its chamber in the House yesterday to protest against inclusion of two BNP MPs bypassing one of their nominees in the special committee formed earlier.
The BNP representatives also boycotted a meeting of the special committee for reviewing the caretaker government’s ordinances yesterday, as one of the party’s preferred MPs was not included.
“BNP chairperson and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia had nominated MK Anwar and Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury as members of the special committee,” opposition chief whip Joynul Abdin Faruk said at a press conference in the parliament yesterday.
But Faruk himself was included in the committee instead of senior BNP lawmaker SQ Chowdhury, without the party’s knowledge, said the chief whip.
MK Anwar did not attend the special committee’s yesterday meeting. He did, however, attend its two previous meetings. “We will not attend the special committee meetings until Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury is included in the committee as recommended by the BNP chairperson,” Faruk told reporters.
Faruk added that his party may not send its MPs to the parliamentary standing committees, to be formed in the current session, if Chowdhury was not included in the special committee.
“We will only nominate our representatives for the upcoming standing committees if SQ Chowdhury is inducted in the special committee,” he said.
“The intolerant and autocratic attitude of the ruling party is pushing the country towards the pre 1/11 situation,” said Faruk.
“We consider this as an effort to disturb constitutional continuity,” he said.
Chowdhury said BNP wanted to make parliament effective.
“I think the ruling party should consider this as we are all pledge-bound to make parliament effective.”
The MPs of the main opposition party have been boycotting parliamentary proceedings for 11 consecutive days, since Jan. 28, for a dispute over the seating order.
Courtesy: nation.ittefaq.com
