JS goes into session today

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Parliament goes into its sixth session today (Monday) without the opposition, reports UNB.
Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farooque said that BNP would return to parliament if their demands were met. Andalib Raman, MP, chairman of BJP, an ally of the BNP-led four-party alliance said Sunday that he (lone MP from BJP) would not go to the session.
A senior leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, another major partner of BNP-led alliance, said Jamaat will not also join the session as they are part of the opposition.
The last session (budget session) of the 9th parliament was prorogued on July 22.
The opposition lawmakers abstained from most of the sessions of the present parliament on various issues.
They joined the first day of the last budget session on June 2 for a day and walked out protesting the closure of the daily Amar Desh and arrest of its acting editor Mahmudur Rahman. Since then the BNP and its allies have not returned to the House.
The opposition chief whip at a press briefing last Friday put forward a package of demands that include rearrangement of seats in the front row of the opposition side, discussion in parliament on issues like carnage at BDR HQs, Tipaimukh Dam, price-hike of essentials and electricity, gas and water crisis.
The BNP's demands also include halting repression on the opposition on police remand, disclosure of the agreements with India and place those before parliament, withdrawal of order cancelling parole of Arafat Rahman Koko, withdrawal of the cases against BNP leaders and workers including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and her family members filed during the army-backed caretaker government as well as the cases filed during the present government.