Speaker Abdul Hamid yesterday rejected all 35 notices from opposition lawmakers demanding discussions in parliament on various issues including the much-talked Tipaimukh dam, shortage of power and gas, law and order slide, extortion and tender manipulation.

BNP lawmakers and an independent MP had submitted the notices to the parlia-ment secretariat and demanded for holding discussions in the House adjourning the scheduled business. Independent lawmaker Fazlul Azim in his notice also raised the same demand.

A ruling Awami League lawmaker, Omar Faruk Chowdhury, also submitted a notice demanding discussion on operation of irrigation by using submergible water pumps. But it was also rejected by the speaker.

Earlier in the last two sessions of parliament, Speaker Abdul Hamid also turned down all notices served by

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BNP-led opposition.

Though the opposition lawmakers were not present in the House, they submitted notices on issues like traffic congestion, deaths of children caused by fake medicine, extortion by Chhatra League men, flood situation, attack on the leaders and activists of opposition party, torture by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab). skyrocketing prices of essentials and sugar market manipulation.

But the speaker accepted none of the notices. In defence of rejecting the notices, he said contents of some notices are not based on facts and some of them are not specific and based on guess.

Referring to the notices on law and order situation, extortion and criminal activities, (he speaker said it is possible to solve the problems under the existing laws.

"I am really sorry for my inability to accept any of the notices," the speaker said.

Of the 29 notices from BNP lawmakers, Jafrul Islam Chowdhury sent 19 notices and Nazimuddin Ahmed sent 10 notices. Fazlul Azim sent 6 notices.