Lawmakers on Thursday said the BNP will disappear like the Muslim League and the National Awami Party (NAP) if it does not participate in the upcoming general election.
The NAP, led by Maulana Bhashani, and the Muslim League disappeared… similarly the BNP will vanish if it party does not participate in the next general election, they said while taking part in the general discussion on the thanksgiving motion of the president's speech at parliament with Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku in the chair.
Taking part in the discussion, the lawmakers highlighted different development activities in various sectors including communication, socio-economic, education, youth and sports, and information and communication technology under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The president in his 168-page speech on January 5, on the first day of the maiden session of the 11th parliament for this year, focused on the country's massive successes in different sectors.
"The BNP will suffer the consequence of the Muslim League and NAP as the parties did not participate in the 1970 polls,” said Sheikh Fazlul Karim Salim, the lawmaker for Gopalganj-2.
Coming down heavily on the demand of a caretaker government, the treasury bench lawmaker said the provision of an unelected caretaker government is constitutionally illegal, so the election will be held according to the constitution maintaining international standards, he added.
Participating in the discussion, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu said the BNP is a factory of anti-liberation forces and that evil forces must be eliminated from politics to bring back discipline in the arena.
Lawmakers, including Whip Mahabub Ara Begum Gini of Gaibandha-2, Shajahan Khan of Madaripur-2, Bazlul Haque Haroon of Jhalokathi-1, Sultana Nadira of women's reserved seat-15 and AKM Sarwar Jahan of Kushtia-1 also participated in the discussion.
Earlier, Chief Whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury made a proposal for holding a discussion on the thanksgiving motion of the president's speech in the House and then it was seconded by treasury bench lawmaker Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker.
The lawmakers also thanked the president for giving a timely speech highlighting the success stories of the government and guiding the nation towards peace, progress and prosperity.
They earlier paid a rich tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his contribution to establishing an independent Bangladesh.