Third session of JS begins without BNP

Obituary Reference on Saifur, Kennedy adopted, Speaker calls BNP to join
The third session of the Jatiya Sangsad began yesterday in absence of the opposition BNP. As in the previous session the BNP-led four-party opposition did not take part in this session’s opening day pressing for various demands including arrangement of seats in the front row of the House.
However, in his opening statement Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid called upon the opposition BNP to join parliament for properly discharging their duties as the people’s representatives. He also assured that their (opposition lawmakers) benefits and demands would be considered.
Meanwhile, the third JS session which began yesterday will be short-lived and continue till September 15 with a total of seven working days.
The session began at about 11 am with Speaker Abdul Hamid in the chair. Though the lawmakers belonging to the BNP-led four-party alliance did not turn up at the session, legislators of the Awami League-led grand alliance and independent lawmakers attended the session.
Although the opposition took part in the first session of the ninth Jatiya Sangsad constituted through the national election of December 29, they refrained from attending the second and the budget session on the issue of arrangement of their seats in the front row of the House.
At the outset of the third session, the panel of speakers was elected and an obituary reference was passed in the House as a mark of respect to 10 personalities including former finance minister and BNP standing committee member M Saifur Rahman, who was killed in a road mishap at Brahmanbaria on Saturday and US senator Edward Kennedy, who was a trusted friend of Bangladesh.
The House adopted the obituary reference unanimously and paid homage to former president of the Philippines Corazon Aquino, former minister Shafiqul Gani Swapan, former minister MA Sattar, former MP Haji Abu Abbas, a veteran of the historic language movement Advocate Gaziul Huq, poet and litterateur Alauddin Al Azad, former naval commando Mazharullah (Bir Uttam) and former president of Mahila Parishad Hena Das.
One minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect to the deceased personalities and Munajat was offered for eternal peace of their departed souls. Awami League legislator B H Haroon conducted the Munajat.
Later, a panel of five speakers was constituted who would chair the JS session in absence of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. They are: Khan Tipu Sultan, Shamsur Rahman Sharif and Sarah Begum Kabori of Awami League, Dr Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury of Jatiya Party and MK Anwar of BNP.
On the first day of the JS session, two bills were tabled and reports of the parliamentary standing committees on two bills were also submitted. After the question-answer hour and completion of the notices of public importance, three legislators, rising on point of order, urged the Speaker for discussion on three sensitive issues. Besides, law minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed submitted in the house the Mobile Court Ordinance-2009 issued by the President.
In his opening statement, Speaker Abdul Hamid said in the parliamentary form of government, the Jatiya Sangsad is the focal point of all the national activities and the legislators are the life blood of the Sangsad. He said the lawmakers play the main role in making the JS effective as the people have sent them to the JS as their representatives with high hopes and aspirations.
The Speaker said all the MPs, irrespective of treasury and opposition benches, should work relentlessly for fulfillment of the people’s aspirations.
He said along with framing of laws in the JS, they (MPs) will have to place the demands of their respective constituencies. He hoped the members of the treasury bench and the opposition will work to that end.
He said the opposition is also a part of the government in the parliamentary form of government and as such he called upon the legislators irrespective of party affiliations to give priority to national interests first and establish Bangladesh as a bright and prosperous digital nation.
The third session of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) would continue up to September 15. The decision in this regard was taken at the fifth meeting of the Business Advisory Committee held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with the Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid in the chair. It was also decided at the meeting that the session would start at 11 am and continue up to 2 pm, excepting on weekly holidays.
Members of the committee Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina attended the meeting. Other members who attended were Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Tofail Ahmed, Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Chief Whip Abdus Shaheed, Advocate Rahmat Ali, Rashed Khan Menon and Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar of BNP. Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed also attended the meeting on special invitation.

Courtesy of The Independent