The marginalised opposition BNP has finally decided to stay away from the parliament accusing the government of vitiating the atmosphere inside and outside the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) through autocratic behaviour. BNP alleged that the government and the ruling party were trying to unleash a 'reign of terror' on the opposition and the people.

The recent statement made by Abdul Jalil about electoral deal with the caretaker government and the court verdict canceling the parliamentary membership of a ruling party nominee in Bhola also strengthen opposition's claim about the election manipulation in many more constituencies. The BNP, headed by ex-premier Khaleda Zia, got only 10 per cent of the 300 seats in December elections last year. It had alleged vote-rigging in the December 29 elections and has refused to take part in parliament proceedings because of a seating arrangements row.

Following the general elections on December, BNP conceded the defeat and publicly promised to play a constructive role in the parliament. "We want to help the government. But the government must reciprocate," Begum Zia, who was formally endorsed leader of the opposition in parliament by deputies from her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said at a meeting immediately after they were sworn in as lawmakers in Janury. However, in a quick development, BNP changed its tone. In the May Day rally, in her first public address after the election debacle, Begum Zia asked Hasina's four-month-old government to quit over failure in 'curbing terrorism and easing the power and water crisis'.

Hasina's Awami League Party, which governs with an overwhelming majority, has promised to end the confrontational politics that has crippled the country in the past. But in April, Sheikh Hasina tried to evict Khaleda Zia from her Cantonment house. Zia has appealed the move through the court. BNP is asking the government not to force the opposition to go for a movement. "Lies, conspiracies, repression and fascist activities never bring good results. Good sense should prevail in you [government]. Do not compel us to go for movement," Khandaker Delwar said last week

Now, BNP is trying to mobilise public support against the political oppression on their leaders and workers in recent months. To their anxiety, BNP leaders are being implicated in fresh cases like BDR mutiny, 21 August grenade explosion case, Chittagong arms haul case and so on. BNP by now have got more thread to twist and consolidate their argument in favour of parliament boycott.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said at a conference at Bangabandhu Conference Centre on October 17 that the opposition had refrained from joining the House for 'only one or two seats'. 'Why do they [BNP-led alliance] want what they did not give us,' she said. Meanwhile, third session of the parliament resumed last week following an 18-day break after Eid ul-Fitr and Durga Puja. BNP refrained from attending the current session. However, in absence of the minority opposition, which feel largely ignored and offended on various political and non-political issues, the Jatiya Sangsad is feared to become only a ruling party game.

BNP Secretary General Delwar last week called upon Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to create an environment of consensus "so that BNP can join the House". BNP alleged that the government intends to go back to the Constitution of 1972 for a dubious purpose. "But people will not allow that to happen again. The Awami League government must appreciate that the year 2009 cannot be rewound back to 1972," Delwar said. BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said the BNP lawmakers had attended the House from the first sitting but the ruling party created an atmosphere in and outside the House so that the opposition MPs did not participate in the proceedings.

The government also came under criticism by withdrawing the cases against Awami League leaders. On the contrary, the cases filed by the previous caretaker government against BNP leaders were kept alive and some of the cases relating to Begum Zia and her tow sons were given green signal to be pursued. Begum Zia was compelled to appear before the court in one of such cases framed by the military-backed caretaker government. The uneasy situation has encouraged the diplomats to express their displeasure about the parliamentary process in Bangladesh.

Three Human Rights Ambassadors who visited Dhaka recently also suggested the government to make the parliamentary process effective through collaboration of both the ruling and the opposition parties. Head of the European Commission (EC) delegation Ambassador Stefan Frowein observed that the present Bangladesh parliament was not functioning in the best way possible, as the opposition was not participating in debates on national development issues.

"We're observing the political situation here as part of our job and trying to understand what is happening tWe were involved in the preparation for the elections through making voters' lists with photos that led to free, fair and internationally accepted elections," he told the newsmen on the eve of the European Development Day. "It's important for Bangladesh that parliament is functioning. This is essential, but we're observing that the opposition is not participating in it as much as it should," the envoy noted. US envoy James F Moriarty while paying a courtesy call on the Prime Minister last week also discussed the role of opposition party in a democratic system. Sheikh Hasina in response told the Ambassador that her government is "firm on strengthening further the foundation of parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh".

-New Nation