The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday launched a two-day training workshop for its lawmakers ahead of the first session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, scheduled to begin on March 12.
The programme was inaugurated by prime minister and BNP chairman Tarique Rahman at 10:30am at the party chairperson’s office in the capital’s Gulshan.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin on February 23 called the 13th JS first session, which will begin at 11:00am on March 12.
According to BNP leaders, the party arranged the workshop to prepare its lawmakers, especially for the first-time lawmakers, for properly carrying out parliamentary activities before the session begins.
Parliamentary experts, academics and senior lawmakers are expected to brief the participants on the responsibilities and roles of lawmakers and cabinet members in making parliament more effective.
The two-day programme has been divided into several sessions.
On the first day, ministers, state ministers and advisers attended the morning session, while lawmakers from Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka and Faridpur divisions joined the afternoon session.
On the second day, lawmakers from Dhaka district, Mymensingh division and the remaining parts of Dhaka division would participate in the morning session while lawmakers from Sylhet, Cumilla and Chattogram divisions are scheduled to attend the afternoon session.
BNP leaders said that the workshop would include discussions on parliamentary procedures, the code of conduct, drafting and reviewing bills, analysing budget-related documents and the functioning of parliamentary committees.
Participants will also be given guidelines on how to raise points of order, participate in parliamentary debates, highlight problems in their constituencies and discuss issues related to the president’s address.
The workshop will also focus on ensuring regular attendance of lawmakers during parliamentary sessions, a party leader said.
A total of 209 lawmakers were elected from the BNP in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections on February 12, of whom 146 are first-time Members of Parliament and have little experience of parliamentary rules and procedures.
Prime minister’s additional press secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman said that Tarique Rahman personally attended the workshop.
The opening session was also attended by BNP secretary general and LGRD minister Mirza
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and senior party leaders, including standing committee members Abdul Moyeen Khan, finance and planning minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, liberation war affairs minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and social welfare minister AZM Zahid Hossain.
