Staff Reporter :
The BNP lawmakers on Sunday said that they joined the parliament as their party is not getting space to hold democratic rights like holding processions and rallies outside.
There is absence of democratic space for us to express our demands in line with constitution. Awami League is allowed to hold rallies with fun fare but when we want to hold rallies then question of permission arise, they added.
Rumeen Farhana, a BNP MP of the reserved women’s constituency, said that 300 MPs of the ruling party got excited when she stood to speak in the parliament.
She said, ‘I will speak in favour of my party, they (AL MPs) will talk about their party. If I got upset after the 300 MPs became excited, then how will I keep my speech?”
Rumeen Farhana said this while giving speech on the supplementary budget of the fiscal year 2019-20 at the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday. Deputy Speaker Advocate Fazle Rabbi, who was presiding over by the session, said, “I urge you kindly not to give such speech which will arouse unexpected excitation in the House that hampered the normal session of the parliament.”
Criticizing the Election Commission, she said, what kind of Election Commission is this? It is clear that from the local government election to the national elections that there is no right of people’s voting.
She said, “How many MPs here, they have been elected by the direct vote, let them question their conscience. If you have conscience, you will get your own answer yourself.”
BNP lawmaker Harunur Rashid, taking part in the discussion on the supplementary budget, said that their joining the parliament will not give legitimacy to the 11th parliament which was “formed through an unacceptable election.”
He said, they joined the parliament as their party is not getting space for democratic practice like holding protest rallies in line with constitutional rights.
“Many are talking that why we have joined the parliament, when there is question that the last general election was unacceptable,” Harunur Rashid said.
“The Election Commission has failed to hold an acceptable election. They have destroyed parliamentary election as well as local government election,” he added.
“Joining of six BNP MPs in the parliament will not give legitimacy to the parliament,” he added.
He said that BNP lawmakers joined the parliament in a bid to restore good governance in the country.
“I urge leader of the house to hold a national dialogue with participation from leaders of political parties to have good governance in the country,” he proposed.
Rumeen Farhana said, “We came here to talk about countrymen, party activists in the parliament.”
“All 300 constituencies were looted in the last election”, she alleged.
She also demanded disclosure of the names of bad loan holders in the country.
Rumeen faced hue and cry from treasury bench several times. Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, who was presiding over the sitting at the time, expunged unparliamentarily words of the speech of lone BNP woman lawmaker.
