Opposition to come down hard on BNP

The eighth parliament goes into its fourth session today as the main opposition Awami League plans to come down hard on the ruling party on issues such as police atrocities against students, rising political persecution and the wheat scam.

The session is likely to be short-lived yet stormy, with the Awami League planning to take up major events that have taken place since the budget session was prorogued on July 15. This session was called mainly for the presidential election.

As the president has already been elected unopposed, the government agenda will be restricted to legislative business, sources in the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said.

As many as eight bills are in the process of being tabled in the house, parliament secretariat sources said. However, the much-talked-about bill on reserved seats for women is not on the list.

The Awami League will seek a discussion on the police atrocities at the Shamsunnahar Hall of Dhaka University on July 24 and again on fasting students of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology last Sunday, party sources said.

A debate on the purchase of Indian wheat, the attack on opposition leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed's motorcade in Satkhira, the closure of Ekushey Television, the jet fuel scam in Chittagong, spread of dengue fever, closure of educational institutions following student unrest and deteriorating law and order also top the Awami League agenda.

Moreover, the main opposition party will try to raise some pending issues such as the forced resignation of president A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury and the closure of Adamjee Jute Mills, on which the Awami League had sought a discussion in the budget session.

Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar will for the first time face the Awami League in this session. When the Awami League made its first appearance in the last session of parliament, the speaker had by then become the acting president following the resignation of Chowdhury.

"We hope the speaker will act neutrally and allow us to speak on the issues of public interest in the house," said Deputy leader of the opposition, Abdul Hamid.

He noted that the opposition was denied their right to speak in the house during the last session when Deputy Speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui was in the chair. "It will be a test of neutrality on the part of the speaker in running parliamentary affairs."

The Awami League staged frequent walkouts in the last session, protesting the "obstruction" by the chair and the treasury bench as it criticised the government on various issues.

Chief whip of the opposition Abdus Shahid said Awami League members would do their best to ventilate their grievances and speak for the people. "Our course of action will depend on the role of the speaker."