Winter session begins with BNP staying away

The 16th session of the ninth Parliament began but the main Opposition BNP stayed away in keeping with its recent tendency to boycott the House.

The session’s proceedings, presided over by the Speaker Abdul Hamid, started around 3:30pm. President Mohammad Zillur Rahman delivered a speech as this was the first sitting of the House in the New Year.

The Speaker greeted everyone at the beginning of the session.

In his inaugural speech, Hamid urged the BNP again to join the house. “People voted and elected the honourable Members of Parliament, so it is their duty to uphold the people’s interest in the Parliament.”

“So, I will hope that the ruling and opposition lawmakers will work together to meet the people’s expectations and for the welfare of the country and people. I will urge the honourable MPs of the main opposition party to join the session in order to meet these expectations,” Hamid said.

The BNP and its allies have been boycotting Parliament since the 13th session. After a prolonged absence for 83 consecutive working days, Leader of the Opposition, also the BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia joined proceedings on Mar 18 last year.

Before the House sat on Sunday, Speaker Hamid led the 20th meeting of the Parliament’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) on fixing the duration and other business proceedings of the session.

The meeting decided the current session would go until Mar 6.bdnews24.com

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