Opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shahid who represented the opposition leader at the meeting said the new posts were being created for making political appointments. He gave a note of dissent against the creation of those posts.

The meeting chaired by acting Speaker Akhter Hamid Siddiqi approved a Tk 43.60 crore budget for 2006-07 fiscal year for parliament and the revised budget for this fiscal year.

"We have finalised the budget unanimously and decided to create some new posts for parliament," Hamid told reporters after the meeting.

But Shahid said the government wants to create new posts to politicise the parliament secretariat. "They want to recruit party men. So we can't accept it."

The new posts include permanent staff for the chairmen of standing committees, 89 security staff, 17 posts for driver and another 14 for medical centre.

"The staff of committee chairman should not be permanent. The committee chief will nominate his private assistants and other staff," Shahid told the meeting. But the ruling party lawmakers demand recruitment of these staff permanently.

Shahid also protested additional allocation for some VVIP in the new budget.

State Minister for Finance Shah M Abul Hossain attended the meeting as the representative of the finance minister.