BNP stayed out of the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday submitting a 10-point demand to the Speaker, saying it would not be possible for the party lawmakers to return to the House unless those were met.

The demands include "righl to reply to personal allegations and discussion on national issues like transit to India and Ganges water sharing.

"Unless the problems and issues are sorted out to make the Parliament effective, and our presence in it is meaningful, it is not possible for us to participate in its proceedings", the 10-point resolution adopted at a meeting of BNP Parliamentary Party (BNPPP) said.

Badruddoza Choudhury. Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Jatiya Sangsad. read out the resolutions to newsmen at

the end of a nearly two-hour meeting of the BNPPP at the Sangsad Bhaban in the evening while the House was in session.

The decision, which reflected the tenor of Wednesday's heat in Parliament and the speech of BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia al a rally in the city on the next day Io mark November 7. spilling out a hardline on what she said subservient policies of the government and denial of their right to speak in Parliament, caught everyone by surprise.

It was sketched out late Saturday night at a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee and drafted yesterday morning before it was placed at the BNPPP meeting, which began at 3 pm at the Sangsad Bhaban with Begum Zia in chair.

The resolution was handed

over to Speaker Humayun Rashid Choudhury in his Chamber by B Choudhury and some senior party colleagues.

We shall, of course return to the House", Begum Khaleda Zia told reporters as she came out of I he ninth-floor meeting room at the Sangsad Bhaban earlier.

We have given our 10-point resolution for resolving the issues underlined in if. she added while parrying a question that she had stayed out of yesterday's business that included tabling of a Bill to repeal the Indemnity Ordinance. 1975 that indemnified the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with members of his family on August 15.

"Choudhury had briefed you about our resolution", she replied.

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B Choudhury also parried aueries from reporters beyond le two-page resolution.

Afterwards, Maulana Del-war Hossain Saidee. leader of Jamaat-e-lslami's three member Parliamentary Party, along with Maulana Shamsur Rahman met the BNP leaders at the Sangsad Bhaban office of the Leader of the Opposition.

Saidee. however, said: "we are in the House. We shall take a decision at a meeting of our party tomorrow, taking stock of the political situation".

The BNPPP resolution are: Despite massive conspiracies and a rigged election, we decided to play a constructive role in Parliament as Opposition to continue the constitutional and democratic process.

2, The ruling party wants to keep the Opposition in Parlla ment only to legalise its activities. But it is obstructing the Opposition in a planned way from playing a constructive role in favour of the people and for the sake of democracy.

3. Ministers and ruling party members are personally attacking the Opposition by making one-sided and motivated statements with untrue and confusing information. On the other hand, opposition members are being deprived of their right to give reply to those baseless allegations.’

The ruling party is making Parliament ineffective by unilaterally accepting or rejecting call-attention notices. It is not providing scope for discussing issues of national importance like Ganges water sharing, transit and power import from India.

No action was taken after some treasury bench members delivered provocative statements attacking the religious sentiments of majority people.

When Opposition raised the issue quoting press reports, it was rejected in the name of Rules of Procedure. But when the Prime Minister read out a 30-page untrue quotation from newspaper reports, she was not interrupted.

Most of the parliamentary committees are yet to be constituted. A few committees have been formed without proportional representation of the Opposition. Therefore, the committees have become ineffective.

4. Section 300. 274 and other rules of the Rules of Procedure are misused by the ruling party, depriving the Opposition MPs their right to reply. A long letter of the Prime Minister's Press Secretary was allowed to be read out in the House, but I he

letter of former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University to the Speaker was not read out.

5. Bangladesh Television is being operated under the control of ruling party and the gov ernment. It has been broadcasting untrue, partial and distorted facts and speeches to confuse the people. The BTV is highlighting the statements of ruling partv MPs while ignoring that of Opposition members.

The ruling party is using the state-owned television as a party medium and tarnishing the image of the Opposition be fore the people as well as violating the sovereignty of Parliament Therefore, neutrality of the Speaker is being Questioned and the people are being deprived of tacts.

6. Country's law-and-order has been deteriorating alarmingly since the assumption of power by the present government. A reign of terror has been unleashed through killing, torture. warrant, arrest, harassment on BNP leaders and workers. On an average, 4-5 people are being murdered everyday. The entire nation remained hostage In the hands of ruling party terrorists. Even the Members of Parliament are not spared. The ruling party terror ists made an attempt on BNP MP Dr Moyeen Khan at Mad habdi in Narsingdi.

7. The preseni government has failed to keep the price of essentials within the buying capacity of common people and ensure fair price of aigricultural produce including paddy. Jute and sugarcane The present government wants to consolidate its power by sacrificing country's interest and pursuing a policy of subservience to a big neighbouring country. The ruling party wants to make the Opposition handicapped.

8. BNP is committed to keeping Parliament operative for the sake of continuity of the Constitution and democracy. But due to the partisan, onesided. unconstitutional, undemocratic and indecent role of the Speaker and the ruling party members, it will not be possible for BNP to discharge its responsibility to the people despite its will and sincerity.

9. It is essential to solve the aforesaid problems for the sake of making the Parliament effective. We think participation in the parliamentary proceedings is meaningless unless the problems are resolved. So. it is not |x>ssible for us to be present in the House.

10. The meeting hopes that the Speaker and the ruling party will resolve the problems for the sake of the country and its people, paving the way of out partic ipation in the parliamentary business.