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Hasina urges BNP to return to Sangsad

Lok Sabha speaker says strong opposition must

Staff Correspondent
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon the people to remain alert, so none may harm the country's democracy, 'coming through the backdoor'.
She was addressing an orientation programme for tire members of ninth parliament, where visiting Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee also spoke.
Somnath in his speech said it is imperative to have a strong opposition in the parliament to make it effective, adding that an understanding between the treasury and tire opposition benches, and having mutual respect for each other is very important.
Hasina, also the leader of the parliament, urged her main opposition BNP to return to the House and uphold the dignity of. the people's mandate by presenting to the parliament problems of the people, and their hopes and aspirations.
She said the people's representatives in the country could not work for public welfare uninterruptedly as 'democracy was repeatedly hindered by martial laws or emergencies'.
"We didn't get to enjoy uninterrupted democracy. So our chance of experiencing the parliamentary procedure was also hindered," she said at the inauguration of the four-day programme in Hotel Sonargaon of the capital.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), a non-profit, non-govemmental US organisation .fop supporting demo-• cratic institutions and practices in the world, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) organised the programme for providing senior MPs, experts, and international guests with a forum for sharing the best experiences of parliamentary practices.
About the repeated interruption in democracy, Hasina said at first martial laws are imposed, and then political parties are formed, and finally public representatives are selected in the name of an election.
During the immediate past caretaker rule, a move was on to float a "king’s party" at public expense, but that was not successful because of the bold public and international support for democracy, she claimed.
Terming the new parlia-
ment significant, she urged lawmakers to make it effective rising above partisanship. "If you rail to perform your duties as lawmakers with your merits, skills, and honesty, the people will not vote for you the next time," she warned.
The prime minister urged the opposition to return to the parliament saying, "Come to the parliament. Let's uphold the dignity of the people's mandate. Your constructive criticisms will show the government the way to public welfare."
Referring to the feud between the majority and minority coalitions in the parliament over the seating arrangement in the House, Hasina said the speaker already initiated a move to resolve the problem, as the ruling coalition does not look at the opposition merely in terms of their number. She hoped that the opposition will return to the House after they are given one or two more seats in the front row.
An accountable parliament can fulfil public expectations, she added urging the lawmakers to think about how to ensure the well being of the people.
She advised the new MPs to study more, to take advices from their senior colleagues, to knowlhe coUn try 's laws, parliamentary rules of procedures, and the code of conduct in order to be able to enact laws for the country's development.
Ministers, advisers to the prime minister, high government officials, and diplomats were present at the event, among others.
The prime minister also said it has become imperative to come out of the old pattern of thinking, and to build a political leadership capable of facing the challenges of the 21st century. "Broadmindedness, not vengeance, must be practiced as the new political philosophy," she noted.
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said the lawmakers should have sufficient knowledge to play their roles effectively in enacting laws in parliament.
He said since a lot of things
are discussed or debated in the House, every lawmaker should have enough knowledge about the issues to play his or her due role.
Whatever the lawmakers say in parliament has to be informative so that it can be of some help to the government, he said, adding tliat it is good to have heated argument in parliament but any pandemonium in the House is not desirable.
Somnath, also former president of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), said it is hard to complete all discussions sitting in parliament for 200 days a year.
Underlining the importance of the opposition in parliamentary democracy he said, "Opposition is one of the pillars in parliamentary democracy. The opposition can give important opinion and the government can also entertain those for the better -mentofpeople."
He however said the opposition should not oppose everything for the sake of opposing only.
Somnath also said the lawmakers should be in close touch with people. "If you do not get close to them, listen to them, then how will you work for their welfare."
He said the lawmakers should be respectful and friendly to each other and have the mentality to work together and listen to each other with patience.
The Lok Sabha speaker said whenever the parliamentary democracy suffers a blow, people grieve as democracy is the desire of the people who
establish it through election.
"Through the parliamentary democracy it is proved that people are the supreme authority," he said, adding that the accountability of the government is ensured through parliament.
Urging the lawmakers to show due respect to the speaker, Somnath said it is the responsibility and duty of the lawmakers to obey the speaker.
He expressed his gratitude to the people of Bangladesh for establishing democracy and urged all to work effectively to take it forward.
Somnath hoped that India and Bangladesh having similar culture and heritage can work together not only for strengthening democracy, but also for their development
Referring to the formation of different parliamentary forums including the ones on issues related to women and climate change in Lok Sabha, he said the forums helped the lawmakers acquire knowledge on important issues that are not discussed often.
Somnath mentioned about the Indian Lok Sabha TV channel that covers parliamentary activities without any interference from government and suggested that Bangladesh should also have such a TV channel.'
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said they would consider about such a TV channel and hoped that the Jatiya Sangsad speaker will take necessary steps in this regard.
Speaker Abdul Hamid also spoke at the programme as the special guest.