Shortest ever budget session prorogued
The budget and eighth session of current 11th parliament was prorogued today after only nine working days, which was the shortest parliament session in the recent history of Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The shortest ever budget session of parliament was prorogued around 1:30 pm while Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, who was presiding over the sitting, read out the prorogation order of the president.
Among the total nine sittings, only two days were allotted for holding discussions on the budget for 2020-21 fiscal.
On the other hand, discussions on the supplementary budget for 2019-20 fiscal were held only for a day.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal placed the Tk 5,68,000 crore national budget on June 11, while the budget session began on June 10.
According to the parliament secretariat, a total of sixteen MPs -- 10 from ruling Awami League, three from main opposition Jatiya party and each one from BNP, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Workers Party -- took part in the budget discussions.
A total of 5.18 hours discussion was held on the national budget for 2020-21. In recent years, a total of 50 to 55 hours of discussions were typically held on the budget in parliament
In the supplementary budget discussion, a total of six MPs participated.
Among other agendas, a total of sixteen bills were placed and only five of them were passed in this session. Besides, twelve notices were received under section 71 of the rules of procedure of parliament.
About twenty-six questions were fixed for the prime minister while she answered eleven questions during the question-answer phases in the eighth parliamentary session.
In a bid to follow the health guidelines and to contain the risk of spread of Covid-19, fewer MPs were allowed to attend the session.
Senior lawmakers and MPs from outside the capital were discouraged to attend the session as well.
A limited number of staff and officials of the parliament secretariat were asked to come to the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban for their duties.
Members of the media were also requested not to cover the session in-person and asked to cover the session through live coverage of parliament session in Sangsad Television instead.