The eleventh session of the fifth Jatlya Sangsad (JS) is expected to be a stormy one with the Treasury and Opposition benches bent on scoring points over each other on some vital political and economic issues facing the nation.

The JS goes into Its autumn session on September 12.

According to Parliament Secretariat sources, apart from legislative business, the JS Is likely to take up for discussion contentious Issues like the repeal of the Indemnity Ordinance. 1975 and the Curbing Terrorist Crime Act, 1992, the crisis tn the country's jute sector and the ways and means for poverty alleviation.

General debate on two Issues — poverty alleviation and the jute sector — could not be held

during the last session, mainly due to preoccupation with the formation of a parliamentary committee to examine allegations of corruption against the Agriculture Ministry and the minister concerned.

According to sources, Speaker Shaikh Razzak Alt is likely to allow these two issues to be debated in the coming session.

The Parliament Secretariat has. meanwhile, circulated a programme up to September 20, a hint that the coming session would be a short-lived one. However, the Business Advisory Committee, comprising representatives from both Treasury and Opposition benches, is the final authority to decide both the agenda and tenure of the session.

The advisory committee is to meet on September 11.

The debate on poverty alleviation promises to be a noisy

According to the ruling party sources, the Treasury bench arguments are likely to assert that the government was trying Its best to do everything in the area despite the Opposition's obstructive role.

On the other hand, the Opposition, especially the AL U likely to accuse the government of total failure in the field of poverty alleviation, a top ranking AL leader informed The Dally Star.

The tone and tenor of the debate on the crisis In the Jute sector Is likely to be similar because of the starkly contrasting

positions and attitudes of the parties In Parliament.

The session may also witness hot exchanges on the implications of the Anti-Terrorism Art. The Al. has already submitted a notice to the Parliament Secretariat seeking repeal of the law

If the Issue Is allowed to be discussed on the floor the AL legislators would try to mount tremendous pressure' on the Treasury Bench to repeal the law. an AL leader told The Daily Star. The AL is likely to seek support of the other opposition groups In Parliament on the Issue.

Tt Is now clear that the BNP had passed the law with a view to repressing Its political opponents." the AI. leader said

For its part, the ruling party is preparing to show, by citing statistics, that Incidents of terrorism had significantly declined following the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill last year.

The Indemnity (Repeal) Bill is also likely to generate heat In the House, especially when the last session of Parliament gave the special JS body on the bill a final deadline to decide on the problem.

Although the deadline Is

drawing nearer, the ruling party is yet to decide its official stance on the issue.

Both the BNP and the AL will hold their respective parliamentary party meetings on September 1 1. These meetings are supposed to concentrate on planning strategies to combat each other’s positions on different Issues.

Beside, three ordinances promulgated following the prorogation of the last session would be laid before the House during the first sitting of the next session. About half a dozen bills. Introduced tn the previous sessions, will also come up for consideration. Parliament Secretariat sources said.

Meanwhile. Speaker Shaikh Razzak All Is leamt to have decided to hold meetings of the parliamentary probe committee, constituted to Investigate allegations against the Agriculture Ministry and the minister concerned, during the JS sittings.

Chief Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Khandker Delwar Hossain will remain absent In the House for the first few days of the next session because he is scheduled to leave for Australia on the 1 1 th of this month to attend a conference of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU).