Opposition MPs stage JS walkout

Parliament members of the main opposition BNP led by Khaleda Zia take their seats during a session Monday afternoon. Photo: Focus Bangla

Hours into returning to parliament after around 83 sittings, the opposition lawmakers led by BNP staged a walkout demanding withdrawal of a ban on rallies and processions.

Earlier on May 19, Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir repeatedly announced that no demonstrations including rallies and procession would be allowed for the next one month.

Just before walking out of the parliament around 8:10pm, BNP lawmaker Moudud Ahmed protested the ban and demanded the home minister to offer an apology for the announcement.

Speaking in a point of order, the former law minister also called upon MK Alamgir to withdraw the ban, saying "You (Awami League) will not stay in power forever and we will not stay in opposition for good."

The opposition lawmakers led by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia joined the House on Monday afternoon less than an hour after the budget session began.

Earlier, in a meeting the BNP Parliamentary Party decided to join the Parliament. Lawmakers of Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Jatiya Party, which are partners in the BNP-led alliance, also returned to the House.

Khaleda, who as the leader of opposition in parliament gets salaries and status of a cabinet minister, joined only eight sittings in the last four and a half years of the current ninth parliament.

When she was opposition leader in the seventh parliament (1996-2001), she attended only 28 sittings, according to the JS secretariat.