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Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday warned her party MPs against breaching laws, saying her government was trying to restore the rule of law.
Addressing the Awami League parliamentary party meeting, Hasina said the government's activities were focused on creating employment opportunities through enhanced economic activities.
She also asked the MPs to restrict their deliberations to the president's parliamentary address on Jan 4.
"The prime minister has reminded the MPs not to go be beyond law and act as per the law of the land," deputy speaker Shawkat Ali told bdnews24.com after the meeting at parliament building.
Ali, who attended the meeting, said the prime minister's guidance was directed at the previous BNP-led government that ruled country from 2001 to 2006.
"There was no rule of law during the reign of the four-party alliance government. You have to behave in such a way so that we do not earn bad name," Ali quoted Hasina as saying.
"We want to restore rule of law in the country".
The prime minister said the Awami League and its front organisations such as Jatiya Jubo League and Bangladesh Chhatra League must not think that they are above the law.
The prime minister's warning came amid allegations of irregularities against a few MPs of land grabbing and other irregularities including patronage since the Awami League came to power on Jan 6 last year.
Chief whip Abdus Shahid briefed journalists at parliament's media centre about the parliamentary party meeting.
"The prime minister has instructed the MPs to go to their constituencies to oversee the development activities at the grassroots level," Shahid told reporters.
"She also asked the MPs not to say anything other than those relevant to the president's parliamentary speech (on Jan 4)," he said.
"I will request the speaker to allocate more time to the MPs for discussing constructive issues while taking part in the discussion on the president's speech," he quoted Hasina as saying.
The prime minister's instruction came as most of the ruling party MPs speak on irrelevant and local issues instead of limiting their speeches to the president's New Year address.
On opposition's role, Hasina, according to Shahid, said the BNP-led opposition should return to parliament and say whatever they like.
Ali, the deputy speaker, said some MPs requested the prime minister to expedite the process of giving jobs to every household as per her election pledge.
"The prime minister responded by saying that she had promised more employment opportunities through more economic activities," Ali said.
Finance minister A M A Muhith told the meeting that the present economic activities indicated that Bangladesh would have more growth, leading to more employment opportunities for people.
Criticising the opposition's activities, the chief whip said there are no more complexities over sitting arrangement, and thus there is no scope to claim that the parliament was 'ineffective'.
"They are participating in the standing committee meetings and travelling abroad, but not joining the sessions," he added.
"It is funny when the non-MPs say that parliament is ineffective. There are provisions to boycott or walkout sessions according to parliamentary democracy."
"But it has to be for national interest," said Shahid.
Citing different success stories of the government during the last one year, the chief whip said, "Sixty-nine laws have been enacted in the four sessions until now. Moreover, 54 ordinances have been made laws and 183 decisions, among 317, taken by the cabinet, have been implemented so far.
"The rest are yet to be translated," he added.
This is the third meeting of ALPP after the ninth parliament commenced on Jan 25 last year.
Source: bndews24.com
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