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JS winter session begins today
1/23/2006
The winter session of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) begins today (Monday).
President Iajuddin Ahmed will be delivering his customary address at the first sitting of the current year, reports BSS.
This will be the 20th session of the eighth parliament and is obviously expected to be eventful because of many reasons including the likelihood of the main opposition joining the sitting by signalling a break in their continuous boycott for the last one year.
There is speculation in the air that the Awami League lawmakers are likely to join the winter session, but in any case the possibility of their presence during the President's speech is bleak.
Competent sources said that the AL would discuss in its parliamentary party meeting in the city today (Monday)the matters related to their joining the session.
However, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina and a number of lawmakers of her party may loose their membership if they do not join within 13 working days of the winter session.
Besides the President's speech, the session would be very important as over half a dozen important bills including the much-talked about anti-terrorist bill for crushing the extremists and bomb terrorists would be placed in the house for passage.
Sources at the Sangsad Secretariat said it has so far received three bills for introduction in the winter session. The bills are: Private Security Service Bill-2006, The Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation Bill-2006 and the Judicial Administrative Training Service Institute (Amendment) Bill- 2006.
Besides, The Government Procurement Bill, The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill and The Anti-Terrorism Bill will be placed in the session.
For smooth holding of the long winter session, Dhaka Metropolitan Police has imposed restrictions on traffic movements and holding processions or demonstration or carrying arms and explosives in certain areas of the Sangsad Bhaban and its vicinity.
Meanwhile, all necessary preparations have been undertaken by the parliamentary secretariat for smooth holding of the current year's first session.
The Parliamentary Business Advisory Committee will meet tomorrow afternoon to decide on the duration and the activities of the session. It may be a long session, sources predict.
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