The ongoing 19th session of Parliament may be extended further, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has said.
It was first given an extra lease on Oct 7 with the Business Advisory Committee extending the term up to Nov 7.
Now, the session may be allowed to last longer.
“Several bills are in the pipeline waiting to be passed,” she told bdnews24.com on Wednesday.
That was why the current session, slated to end on Thursday, could be extended she said.
As per the Constitution, the national election has to be held within the last 90 days of the government’s term.
In this case, the polls must be held by Jan 24, 2014.
It also empowers the government to supervise the election.
The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance has been holding street protests, demanding a non-party government to oversee the polls.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has proposed an all-party polls-time government, but the BNP remains inflexible on its stand.
Minister without Portfolio Suranjit Sengupta had proposed the formation of a parliamentary panel, headed by Leader of the Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia to work on the format of an ‘interim’ government.
Communications Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said an all-inclusive polls-time regime would be in place by the end of November.
The BNP, however, has so far doggedly rejected all suggestions of joining an interim government.
The ongoing session had begun on Sept 12. The Business Advisory Committee on Oct 23 decided to extend it beyond Oct 24, its stated deadline, till Nov 7.
The committee also authorized the Speaker to extend or curtail the session’s duration.
Several senior ruling party MPs had demanded the session be run beyond Oct 24 after the BNP threatened a ‘tougher agitation’ to press for its demand from Oct 25.
Later, the Prime Minister said the session would run beyond Oct 24.
Source: Bd news24