The last budget session of the ninth parliament
prorogues tomorrow after 24 working days.
The leader of the house, Sheikh Hasina, also the prime minister, will deliver her winding up speech before the speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury reads out the president’s prorogation order.
Hasina during her budge speech on Saturday had said she would elaborately speak on current political issues and international pressures on the government ‘to keep a person as managing director of a bank and threats to stop funding for Padma bridge project.’
The session that began on June 3 has already passed budget for 2013-14 fiscal year amid opposition boycott on Sunday, allowing the government to spend Tk 3,44,549 crore in the new financial year in development and non-development expenditures.
Finance minister AMA Muhith on June 6 had proposed a Tk 222,490 crore annual budget outlay for the 2013-14 fiscal.
The members of treasury and opposition benches have taken part in discussions on the budget for more than 55 hours with both the leader of the house and opposition leader two hours each.
The opposition MPs had returned to the House on the first day of the session after an absence of 83 days on a stretch.
They also walked out several times during the budget session in protest against ban on holding rallies in Dhaka and derogatory remarks against BNP founder late president Ziaur Rahman and opposition leader Khaleda Zia and her family.
The opposition members last time walked out of the house right before passage of the budget accusing the speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury of being biased towards the treasury bench and sending their cut motions to guillotine at the hint of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Senior BNP lawmaker Jamiruddin Sircar said they might return to the House in the remaining two sittings. The opposition leader Khaleda Zia was unlikely to speak on the concluding day of the session, said her aides.
A major partner of the ruling alliance, Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad did not take part in the budget discussion. It was yet to be finalised whether he would speak on the concluding day, said Sunil Shubha Roy, the party presidium member and information secretary.
-With New Age input
