JP MPs stage first walkout

The opposition Jatiya Party staged a walkout on Sunday from the House, the first such demonstration in the 10th parliament, protesting the government's

decision of increasing power tariff, reports BSS.

Leader of the Opposition in parliament Begum Raushan Ershad led her party to stage the walkout at 5:23 pm, following a statement delivered in the House by Opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury.

"We are staging a walkout from the House because of the government's decision to hike power tariff as we think that the decision in this connection is illogical-", said Tajul Islam while taking the floor on a point of order.

He said the government's decision of increasing the power tariff by 6.96 per cent with effect from this month would hamper the country's overall economic activities.

This is the first walkout staged by the opposition during the 25th sittings of the first session of the current 10th parliament.

Describing Transparency International Bangladesh's (TIB's) recent report on the current parliament as "unfortunate", Chowdhury said the anti-graft body through its report has been helping foreign countries to interfere into the country's internal affairs.

Tajul said Jatiya Party had played a historic role by participating in the recently held 10th parliamentary polls. "We want to create a history by playing our due role as the opposition in the House," he added.

As the opposition in the House, the opposition chief whip said, the Jatiya Party will praise the government's good decisions and at the same time will criticize its anti-people decision, if any.

Criticising the government for increasing power price, he said the power tariff was increased at a time when power price in the international markets was stable.