BNP-Jamaat bashing dominated discussion

Rapping of BNP-Jamaat's “subversive activities” during the blockade and hartal largely dominated the fifth session of the 10th parliament that ended on Thursday.

The House should rather have focused its discussion on legislation, the president's speech and the government's development activities, said experts.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and almost all the lawmakers, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Raushan Ershad, came down hard on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for enforcing blockade and hartal during the Secondary School Certificate exams and “killing common people in petrol bomb attacks across the country.”

Taking the floor on the thanksgiving motion on the president's speech and point of order, most of the Awami League and Jatiya Party lawmakers demanded that the government take firm measurers to contain “BNP-Jamaat's violence” and arrest the BNP chief.

President Abdul Hamid addressed the Jatiya Sangshad on January 19, the first day of the session. Chief Whip ASM Feroz tabled the thanksgiving motion on the president's speech.

The business advisory committee of parliament had decided to run the session until March 5. Later, it was extended until April 2. Lawmakers said the session was extended to avoid convening another session before the budget session in June. Convening a parliament session within 90 days of the last one is mandatory.

In a meeting on February 27, the business advisory committee decided that the House would have 45 hours for discussing the president's address.

During the 39 business days of the fifth session, the MPs discussed president's speech for 60 hours and 30 minutes, about 15 hours more than the stipulated time. A total of 236 legislators took part in the discussion, according to a release of the parliament secretariat. 

Eleven bills, including one private member's, were placed before parliament. Eight of them were passed.

Before prorogating the session on Thursday, the Speaker blasted the BNP-Jamaat for “resorting to subversive activities”.

Democracy, said Shirin, does not support terrorism and violence; it is not acceptable to anyone. She hoped people would take democracy forward by resisting terrorism and violence in future.