The main opposition BNP is likely to join the ongoing session of parliament after a break of almost a year.

"Our leader [Khaleda Zia] will discuss the issue of joining the House in Sunday’s BNP Parliamentary Party (BNPPP) meeting,” Zainul Abdin Farroque, the opposition chief whip, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Party insiders, however, said the main opposition might join the ongoing session right after the

BNPPP meeting since Khaleda is flying abroad for treatment the next day.

The party last walked out of parliament on March 24 last year and have not returned since.

“We have been away from the House this long as we are not allowed to speak for the people and the country in parliament. But our leader [Khaleda] still wants to join," saidFarroque.

Asked if the issue of holding the next general election under a non-partisan government would be raised in the House, he said, “This issue will as well be discussed in Sunday's meeting."

Officials at the parliament secretariat said the current session of the House, which was scheduled to be prorogued Thursday, may continue up to March 29.

Under article 67(1) (b) of the constitution, membership of a parliamentarian will be cancelled if s/he remains absent in parliament, besides leave, for 90 consecutive sittings. The BNP lawmakers have been absent in 83 consecutive sittings.

Speaker Abdul Hamid, during the International Meeting of Parliamentarians on Climate Change: Beyond COP 17 at Hotel Radisson in the capital yesterday, urged the opposition members to join parliament to perform their duty, not just to save their membership.

Meanwhile, at a programme in the capital yesterday, BNP leader Farroque said, "We will go to parliament and speak there. Let us see, what you [the ruling party] have in answer to our questions."

He also urged the government to place a bill on restoring the caretaker government system in the current session.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam at a programme in the capital yesterday alleged that BNP lawmakers would join the parliament only to save their membership.

“They will join the session for not more than two hours and walk out of the House yet once again making sure that their membership is not at stake,” he speculated.