BNP to return if there is proper environment

BNP said yesterday it wants to return to parliament if the government creates a congenial atmosphere in the House.
“Just as the party has decided to join the ongoing talks on the formation of a new Election Commission initiated by the president, it also wants to attend parliament session if a congenial atmosphere is created,” said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He urged the government to ensure such atmosphere in parliament.
Meanwhile, President Zillur Rahman yesterday convened the New Year session of the House on January 25. It will be the 12th session of the ninth parliament.
Talking to journalists on the premises of the grave of BNP founder president Ziaur Rahman, Fakhrul said, “We have not boycotted parliament, we were just not attending the House proceedings.”
Accompanied by leaders of the newly formed committee of Jatiyatabadi Matsyajibi Dal, he placed a wreath on Zia's grave.
“BNP had submitted many notices in the House for holding discussions on various issues of public interest but none of the proposal was accepted for discussion,” the BNP leader said.
Speaking at another programme in the capital, Fakhrul questioned if the president has on his own taken the initiative for talks with the political parties or he has been asked by the government to do so.
BNP has been boycotting parliament sessions since March 24.
The BNP-led opposition has kept off the House for 47 consecutive working days.
The opposition lawmakers walked out of the House on March 24 protesting the Speaker's refusal to hold votes on each of their 1,030 amendment proposals on the thanksgiving motion on the president's speech.
The 12th session is likely to be a lengthy one as discussions will take place on the president's speech, said sources at the parliament secretariat.
The 11th session of the House that began on October 20 had 13 working days.