The upcoming parliament session is likely to witness a stormy debate on the August 21 assassination attempt on Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina as opposition lawmakers are demanding a motion to censure the deadly rally attack.

It is not clear whether the main opposition Awami League (AL) will join the 13th session slated for September 12, but its lawmakers are submitting notices to the parliament secretariat for discussion on the attack.

The cascade of notices has prompted the ruling BNP to consider

a short session to avoid the opposition heat.

Parliament secretariat sources said opposition lawmakers have already submitted 109 notices under different provisions of the rules of procedure demanding discussions on a raft of issues.

Of the notices, 60 demand the censure motion, condemning the attack on the AL rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka that killed 19 people, including the party's Women's Affairs Secretary Ivy Rahman and injured over 200 others.

The AL returned to parliament in last June ending about a year of

continued House boycott and declared that it would continue its participation in all parliamentary proceedings.

But the party is in dilemma over the commitment in the volatile political situation stemming from the August 21 assassination attempt on Hasina, also the chief of the AL.

The AL will take a decision on joining parliament in a couple of days as its policymakers believe the August 21 grisly attack demanded review of their earlier position.

"We have to take an official decision before the beginning of the session," AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told The Daily Star on Sunday.

The question of participating in the Netrokona-2 parliamentary byelection scheduled for October 9 will also be decided at the same time. The last date of filing nomination for the seat that fell vacant at the death of AL lawmaker Abdul Momin is September 14.

If the party joins the session, its lawmakers will stage vigorous protests against the grisly grenade attack and will create pressure on the ruling coalition to adopt the censure motion.

It will also demand discussions on flood rehabilitation and price hike of essentials among other things, sources in the party said.

"We have not formerly discussed the issue of joining parliament. But our informal discussions up to now suggest that the possibility is very slim," a top AL leader said.

Parliament secretariat sources said the offices of the speaker and the deputy speaker were collecting facts about the duration of postbudget sessions.

"History shows that the postbudget sessions in the last ten years were limited to 2 to 10 workdays. The duration of the upcoming session will be fixed considering the previous facts," a senior official said.

Earlier, three sessions of the current Jatiya Sangsad witnessed short workdays. Of them, the fourth and seventh sessions had four workdays each in presence of the AL while the ninth session, boycotted by the main opposition, witnessed six workdays.

The current parliament saw only one discussion -- on law and order downslide in 2002. The speaker rejected 500 notices for discussion on a set of issues in the previous sessions.

A policymaker of the ruling BNP said a general discussion was likely to be held in the next session, but the decision would be taken at the Business Advisory Committee on September 12.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Abdul Hamid said they would participate in the Business Advisory Committee meeting if they decide to join the session.

"If we join, we will demand a longer session to discuss some crucial issues, including the assassination attempt on the leader of the opposition."

Official BSS news agency on Sunday said eight bills, including a ban on smoking in open places, immunity to the World Bank and election to the reserved seats for women were likely to be placed in this session.