Budget session begins today: BNP’s joining undecided

All preparations have been completed for the budget session of the ninth parliament beginning this (Wednesday) afternoon.
Amid boycotting by the BNP-led opposition in the House proceedings, the first day of the session will start at 5pm, with the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid in the chair.
Talking to newsmen, the opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abedin Faruk said, “BNP-led opposition is still undecided to join the opening day of the Budget session today. No decision has yet come from our party forum in this regard.”
“BNP alongwith our allies want to take part in the parliament proceedings but the Treasury Bench doesn’t want to do so,” he alleged adding, “The parliamentary party meeting, headed by the opposition leader of the House and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, will take decision the decision.”
Meanwhile, Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid called upon the opposition to join the House proceedings.
“Nothing happened in the parliament that caused to the opposition’s boycotting the House. If they do so, it will be their mistake,” the Speaker said adding, “The opposition should place their demands, if they have, after taking part in the discussion in the House.”
Prior to beginning of the session, the Parliamentary Executive Advisory Committee will hold a meeting to finalise the programme schedule of the Budget session at 4pm, according to sources in the Parliament.
Finance Minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith will place the budget for 2010-11 fiscal year before the House at 3pm on June 10.
Parliament Secretariat sources said, Finance Minister will not be able to read out the whole Budget before the House due to his health complication on the day. Important parts of his recorded budget speech will be projected on the display broad in the House with the help of multi-media technology.
In the mean time, a team of the Finance Ministry has already enquired the system for two times.
The President Mohammad Zillur Rahman on May13 called the budget session.
Sources said, it will be second and as well as the largest budget of the Awami League-led Grand Alliance. The budget is likely to be passed on June 30. On the first day of the session, an obituary motion will be placed at the sad demise of some six noted personalities of the country.
Apart from this, six new bills are likely to be placed before the House while some 15 bills will be passed in the session. The session is likely to continue for about 25 to 30 working days.
The 15 bills are: Real Estate Development and Management Bill – 2009, Bangladesh Gas Bill 2009, Vested Property Return (Amendment) Bill 2010, Acid Control (Amendment) Bill 2010, Private University Bill 2010, Code of Criminal Prosecutor (Amendment) Bill 2010, Court Fees (Amendment) 2010, Shaheed Ziaur Rahman University, Barisal (Amendment) Bill 2010, Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2010, Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill 2010, Bangladesh Economic Zone Bill 2010, EPZ Workers Welfare Samity and Industry Relation Bill 2010 and The Jute (Amendment) Bill 2010.
Two proposals for adjourning the House proceedings have also been submitted from the opposition bench. Meanwhile, for the question and answer session as part of House proceedings, some 186 questions have been drooped for the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while as many as 28,000 questions for her cabinet colleagues.
It is mentioned that the fourth and winter session of the parliament began on January 4 and continued April 5.

Courtesy of The New Nation