Even though the BNP has no representation in the 10th Jatiya Sangsad, the party seems to have all the attention from almost all lawmakers in their discussions.
During the just concluded maiden session of the current parliament, most of the MPs from all political parties were focused on BNP chief Khaleda Zia, the party founder Ziaur Rahman, their son Tarique Rahman. They came down heavily on Khaleda and Tarique for their recent controversial comments. The MPs also criticised the party leadership for not participating in the January 5 general elections.
During the question-answer hours, discussions on public importance issues and the president’s address, the MPs came down hard on the BNP leadership, targeting it as the opposition as seen in the previous ninth legislature.
The question-answer hours for the ministers and discussions on the public importance issues were often put on hold and the MPs uttered unparliamentary words about the BNP, Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman with the start of the days’ business.
In the last 35 sittings since the first day of the Awami League-led parliament on January 29, the MPs were busy criticising the BNP. Up to April 8, a total of 223 MPs delivered speeches on the president’s address, costing 52 hours. With a few exceptions, the lawmakers dedicated their speeches to attack the BNP.
“Our MPs talk against the BNP as there is a friendly opposition [in parliament]. They [BNP] are the real opposition. So, our MPs will be talking about them,” Atiur Rahman Atik, a whip of the ruling Awami League, told the Dhaka Tribune.
He said: “Can I quarrel with you if we have friendly relations?”
Rahmat Ali, a senior Awami League leader, told the Dhaka Tribune that the BNP was the Awami League’s archrival, no matter whether it had representation in parliament or not.
“So, such discussions will go on,” he said, “unless the relations between the two parties improve.”
On at least 26 of the total 35 days of the session, the MPs from the ruling Awami League, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Workers Party and the opposition Jatiya Party took floor in unscheduled slots called “point of order” to counter the statements of Khaleda and Tarique.
On March 30, JSD lawmaker Mayeen Uddin Khan Badal raised the statements of Tarique and Khaleda who claimed that Ziaur Rahman was the first president of the country. Eight lawmakers Matia Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Tajul Islam Chowdhury, Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari and Kazi Feroz Rashid spoke in the unscheduled discussion that lasted for over two hours.
The time for the scheduled discussion on the president’s speech was reduced. Only three MPs – Faruk Khan, Mujibul Haque and Biren Shikder – spoke on the president’s address.
Before the start of scheduled discussion on Monday, Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain took floor on a “point of order,” initiating a discussion on a news report that claimed Khaleda had been in economic hardship. He spoke for more than 10 minutes, criticising Khaleda, Zia and the BNP bitterly.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury followed and spoke on the same issue, criticising Khaleda and her status in 1971.
Parliament Secretariat officials have said they are yet to calculate the time dedicated to holding the unscheduled discussions.
