Against the backdrop of the speaker's refusal to adjourn the sitting on Monday after the adoption of an obituary reference on its lawmaker Shah AMS Kibira, the main opposition Awami League (AL) is seriously examining whether they will join the parliament session when it resumes on February 8.

The AL lawmakers staged a strong protest and boycotted the first sitting of the year, as their demand for deferring the presidential speech to the second day through adjourning the sitting was not met.

The speaker refused to meet the demand saying that the constitution does not allow it.

Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina is now consulting her party deputies about joining in the parliamentary proceedings. AL mulls

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A section of AL lawmakers do not want to join parliament while others said they should join to register their protest against the misrule of the government, sources said.

"There is very little possibility of our joining the parliamentary proceedings after the speaker's showing hostile attitude towards us," a top AL leader said, wishing anonymity.

"Even if we join parliament to protest the assassination of Kibria, we can't be certain about our getting chance to talk."

"I am personally in favour of joining the parliamentary proceedings to register our protest. But the question has arisen at the speaker's controversial role in the running of the House," AL Presidium Member Suranjit Sengupta told The Daily Star.

The parliamentary party will take the decision after examining all the aspects, he added.

AL lawmaker and opposition Whip Faruk Khan said, "We were in favour of joining parliament. But now we are bound to rethink after what we witnessed on Monday."

"While the opposition lawmakers are not safe in their own constituencies, what will be the result of our joining parliament? Rather we have to strengthen movement against the government for its misdeeds," said AL lawmaker Abdur Razzak.