Ruling Awami League (AL) has decided to offer the main opposition BNP chairmanship of four parliamentary standing committees.
The decision comes in line with AL's electoral pledge that if voted to power it will share the standing committee chairs with the other parties on the basis of proportional representation in parliament.
Chief Whip of Parliament Abdus Shahid yesterday said they would soon send a formal proposal to BNP.
He told reporters, “The prime minister wants the committees to be formed in the current session. And a decision has been taken to have the opposition members at the helm of some committees.”
The chief whip of the treasury said, “According to the number of seats, BNP lawmakers should head a little over three committees. But they can demand four chairmanships, and Jatiya Party too can stake claim to as many.”
Out of a total 48 committees, 37 are to be constituted on different ministries and the rest on matters relating to parliament.
The House has already formed two committees on parliamentary affairs.
Shahid also said the BNP-led four-party alliance government did not give the opposition a single chair in the eighth parliament. Still, the AL government has decided to allow four opposition members as standing committee chairmen to make parliament effective.
Asked about the ruling party initiative, Joynal Abedin Farukh, chief whip of the opposition, yesterday told reporters that their parliamentary party will consider the matter only after receiving a formal proposal.
Expressing doubts, he said, “Earlier they [ruling party] had announced they would have deputy speaker from the opposition, but that didn't happen. That's why we don't really trust them to carry out what they are saying now.