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Khaleda to lead smallest-ever opposition

SHAKHAWAT LlTON
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is going to be recognised as the leader of the smallest-ever opposition that has pledged to play a strong role to make parliament effective.
The BNP Parliamentary Party yesterday elected Khaleda its leader in parliament and decided to forward a copy of the decision to Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar for recognition.
After the meeting of the BNP body yesterday afternoon, Khaleda said, "We will join parliament in the interest of the nation and play a constructive role in parliament."
However, regardless of the number of lawmakers in her support, Khaleda's status in
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parliament is just after Leader o the House and Prime Ministe Sheikh Hasina and she has tin responsibility to lead her denu ties in working as a shadov cabinet to ensure accountability and transparency of govern ment functions.
The first parliament hac only seven lawmakers in th( opposition and none was recognised as the leader of tin opposition as they were ven few in number. Nevertheless that opposition played a ven strong role to put pressure or the treasury bench to do the rightthing.
The opposition benches in the fifth and seventh parliaments were strong in terms ol number of lawmakers.
BNP lawmakers who took oath yesterday said they would play an effective role in the House and that they are now waiting to see if the government creates an appropriate environment for them in parliament.
Parliamentary affairs experts also believe that it is a challenge for the ruling Awami League-led alliance to bring opposition lawmakers into confidence to make parliament effective.
They said the strength of the present opposition bench in terms of number is not significant but the ruling party should not forget that the opposition parties obtained over 36 percent of the votes cast in the December 29 elections.
The BNP, which faced a humiliating defeat in the election. won only 29 seats and of those the BNP chairperson won three seats and later vacated two.
Now the number of BNP lawmakers, including the one who was elected in Noakhali-1 constituency election held on January 12, standsat28.
It means, Khaleda Zia, who was prime minister thrice, commands support of 28 lawmakers of her party in parliament. The number will increase a little if the two Jamaat-e-Islami lawmakers and one of Bangladesh Jatiya Party extend their support to her in writing.
On the speaker's directive, the Parliament Secretariat will publish a gazette notification recognising Khaleda Zia as the leader of theopposition.
According to the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Remuneration and Privileges) Ordinance 1979, Khaleda wilt be entitled to allowances, remuneration and other facilities of a cabinet minister while the deputy leader.ru i hc-oppK ILLu-.
entitled to allowances and remuneration of a state minister.
The BNP Parliamentary Party yesterday gave Khaleda the authority to pick her deputy in parliament.
LEADERS OF THE OPPOSITION The first opposition leader in parliament was AL leader Asaduzzaman Khan in the second parliament with 39 AL lawmakers elected in the sec-
ond national election in 1979.
The third parliament was formed after the 1986 election with AL, chief Sheikh Hasina as the leaderol theopposition. Her party had 76 lawmakers.
Amid boycott by the AL and BNP, the fourth parliamentary election was held in 1988 in which the Jatiya Party (JP) got an overwhelming majority.
The Combined Opposition Parties emerged as a majority group in that parliament and its leader Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal chief ASM Abdur Rab was recognised as the leader of the opposition with support of 33 lawmakers.
In the fifth parliament. AL chief Sheikh Hasina again got recognised as tlie leader of the opposition with support of 88 lawmakers. Hie number later increased to 92 as four lawmakers of BAKSAL dissolved the party and joined the AL
In that parliament, the JP had 35 lawmakers and Jamaat 20, which made the opposition bench healthy enough.
None of tne minor political parties that contested the sixth parliamentary election held on February 15,1996 amid boycott by the AL, JP and Jamaat won more than one seat. So, there was no question to recognise the leader of theopposition.
The ruling BNP could not continue in power and was forced to dissolve the parliament by passing the 13th constitution amendment bill introducing the caretaker government system in four working days.
In the seventh parliament, BNP chief Khaleda Zia was recognised as the leader of the opposition for the first time since the BNP had contested elections under her leadership. In that parliament, she commanded support of over 100 lawmakers.
The BNP won 116 seats in the June 12,1996 parliamentary election but the number later decreased as a few lawmakers elected in more than one seat vacated seats.
AL chief Hasina became the leader of the opposition for the third time in the eighth parliament with the party having support of 58 lawmakers. The JP was also in the opposition bench with 14 lawmakers.