Speaker to offer one more front seat to BNP
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Speaker Abdul Hamid said Monday that main opposition BNP might get one more seat on the front row in parliament.
According to the Speaker, this will fulfil one demand of the BNP, which has been staying away from parliament since June this year, reports bdnews24.com.
With the offer of one more seat the BNP will have six seats on the front row.
Briefing journalists about one year's performance of the ninth parliament, Mr Hamid claimed that the country's parliament was "not dysfunctional".
The BNP's participation will make parliament sessions more "lively", he told journalists at parliament's media centre.
"I have already allocated them five front row seats, in excess of the number due for the party on the basis of its representation in parliament. But they continued demanding one more," Mr Hamid told reporters.
"I can request the Prime Minister (Leader of the House) to allocate one more front row seat to the opposition if they raise the demand inside the House."
"If they do so, I think, the problem can be solved," said the Speaker, who blamed his predecessor Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, now a BNP lawmaker, for the problem.
The BNP and its allies, with 32 seats in 345-strong unicameral chamber, have been boycotting parliament to press the demand for securing at least six out of out 29 front row seats.
Mr Hamid, who was Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the eighth parliament, said the BNP gave Awami League six front row seats against 60 seats it won in polls. After three years, the Awami League's front row seats increased to eight, he said.
"As per the proportion, the BNP should have got four front row seats," said Mr Hamid.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had told parliament that the main opposition was given more seats than it deserved by strength.
According to the Speaker, this will fulfil one demand of the BNP, which has been staying away from parliament since June this year, reports bdnews24.com.
With the offer of one more seat the BNP will have six seats on the front row.
Briefing journalists about one year's performance of the ninth parliament, Mr Hamid claimed that the country's parliament was "not dysfunctional".
The BNP's participation will make parliament sessions more "lively", he told journalists at parliament's media centre.
"I have already allocated them five front row seats, in excess of the number due for the party on the basis of its representation in parliament. But they continued demanding one more," Mr Hamid told reporters.
"I can request the Prime Minister (Leader of the House) to allocate one more front row seat to the opposition if they raise the demand inside the House."
"If they do so, I think, the problem can be solved," said the Speaker, who blamed his predecessor Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, now a BNP lawmaker, for the problem.
The BNP and its allies, with 32 seats in 345-strong unicameral chamber, have been boycotting parliament to press the demand for securing at least six out of out 29 front row seats.
Mr Hamid, who was Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the eighth parliament, said the BNP gave Awami League six front row seats against 60 seats it won in polls. After three years, the Awami League's front row seats increased to eight, he said.
"As per the proportion, the BNP should have got four front row seats," said Mr Hamid.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had told parliament that the main opposition was given more seats than it deserved by strength.