Main opposition BNP on Monday withdrew its adjournment motion on poll time caretaker government, which they submitted on May 22, because they have decided not to talk about the issue in parliament.
Opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque told journalists: “It was decided in the meeting of the parliamentary party not to place any proposals on the caretaker government system or discuss the issue in parliament. That’s why the members of parliament [who submitted the motion] withdrew the proposal.”
The BNP’s parliamentarians met in the opposition leader’s conference room in the parliament. After the meeting, Farroque told journalists about the decision to stay in the session. “However, we hope the shining new lady speaker will not deprive us like the last speaker from speaking in parliament.”
The opposition parliamentarians led by opposition leader Khaleda Zia joined the session afterwards. However, the BNP chief left the house during the Magrib break for prayers, leaving after just 51 minutes.
Farroque told reporters the adjournment motion, which BNP lawmaker Mahbubuddin Khokon filed, was on
his personal view and not that of the party’s.
Sources said in the BNP’s parlia-mentary party meeting the motion was the first to be discussed as soon as the meeting started. They were in favour of
not placing any proposal for an interim government until the government brings it up.
“If we place the proposal first it would not resolve the crisis rather it would intensify it further,” one of opposition members who attended the meeting told the Dhaka Tribune requesting anonymity. He said there are still several months left to resolve the political deadlock and the party will not benefit if all doors for negotiations are closed now.
“If the government does not want an interim government, non-partisan government will not return. So it would be wise to leave it for the current government to take the decision,” he said.
When all those in attendance confirmed they were of the same opinion, Khaleda Zia asked Mahbubuddin Khokon to withdraw the motion, he said.
Along with BNP MPs, two from the Jamaat-e-Islami and a single Jatiya Party (JP) lawmaker took part in the meeting. All of them entered the house before the budget session started and was welcomed by the new Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, senior treasury bench members and JP chairman HM Ershad welcomed the opposition MPs.
Thirty five BNP MPs, including opposition chief whip Zainul Abedin Farroque, Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar, Jamiruddin Sircar, Barkatullah Bulu, Mahbubuddin Khokan, Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anny, Abul Khaier Bhuiyan and Ashrafuddin Nizam, along with JP lawmakers Andalib Rahman Partha, and the Jamaat-e-Islami’s ANM Shamsul Islam and Hamidur Rahman Azad, joined the session lead by Khaleda Zia.
Parliamentary records show the BNP and its allies joined the first sitting of the House on January 25, 2009. They boycotted the House from the second day, on January 29, over reshuffling of front row sitting arrangements by the Speaker Abdul Hamid.
They withdrew their boycott when the speaker assured them of having more seats in the 2009 budget session. However, at the budget session the opposition expressed discontent over the sitting arrangements and walked out again.
They returned to the House on February 11, 2010, to preserve their memberships as the constitution stipulates legislators cannot stay away from the assembly for 90 consecutive days.
At the 2010 budget session the opposition MPs resumed their boycott and stayed away from the House for more than a year. They returned on March 15, 2011, when the 90-day deadline was near.
On average, most BNP legislators have been absent from the House for 83 consecutive days. They were bound to return to the House by mid-June or lose their memberships. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has attended only eight of the 370 working days of the current parliament. As a party, the BNP attended 54 days.
The BNP has 39 MPs in the 350-member parliament. Jamaat has two seats and the Jatiya Party one MP.
