Opposition BNP lawmakers have no option but to attend the next parliament session — unless, of course, they are prepared to lose their seats.
A MP will lose his seat if he or she remains absent from the parliament sessions for 90 consecutive working days.
The Parliament Secretariat says BNP lawmakers have already been absent for 83 consecutive working days until the closure of the 16th session of the 9th parliament that ended recently .
The absence relates to the Opposition boycott of the House to press for the restoration of the caretaker administration to conduct parliament polls.
So, they have to return to the Parliament in June to attend the budget session to avoid cancellation of their membership, secretariat officials say.
Earlier after a prolonged absence for 77 consecutive working days, the BNP and its allies joined proceedings of the 12th session on Mar 18 last year.
But, BNP walked out of the Parliament two days later after Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia’s statement on President’s speech.
BNP chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque blamed the walkout on the Speaker’s ‘partial conduct’.
BNP had also joined the proceedings on Mar 24 in 2011 after a long period of absence but walked out after a while.
The Awami League government, which has two-third majority in Parliament, has been urging the BNP to return to the House.
BNP says that is possible only if the government restores the caretaker system for conducting the parliament polls.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her offer for a dialogue with the Opposition to break the political deadlock in the country on Saturday.
The new Speaker of parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has also urged the BNP to join the parliament.
But, the BNP is yet to respond ‘officially’, BNP chief whip Farroque said.
“The current political condition suggests no need to join the Parliament,” Farroque said.
“We are not bothered about this,” he said when his attention was drawn to the possibility of BNP lawmakers loosing membership.
But, a BNP lawmaker, preferring to be unnamed, told bdnews24.com the party forum will discuss the issue very urgently.
The opposition has remained absent for a record 315 working days in the 9th Parliament.
Earlier, erstwhile Awami League lawmakers, when in Opposition, skipped 135 of 265 working days of the fifth Parliament (1991-1995).
In the seventh Parliament BNP missed out 163 of the 219 working days while in the eight parliament ,opposition Awami League MPs remained absent in 223 of the 373 days.
Source: bdnews24