The AL expressed indignation at the formation of the committees without giving it any chairmanship and limiting its membership to just one in some vital bodies compared with two to others.

The inclusion of the AL lawmakers gave the parliamentary bodies full shape one and a half years after their formation and about three years into the current parliament's five-year tenure.

The AL blasted the key ruling party BNP for not giving it 'true representation' to the committees that watch government activities to ensure transparency.

"It's not fair. The ruling alliance reneged on its promise of giving equal memberships to all the bodies," Opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shahid told The Daily Star last night.

"Denying chairmanship proportional to the number of lawmakers to the main opposition, they (the ruling coalition) have once again proved that they don't want to make parliament functional."

The AL demanded chairmanships of the public accounts and undertaking committees and of the committees on the ministries of finance, home, communications, LGRD, education, agriculture, energy and mineral resources, relief and disaster management.

Without representation of the main opposition, the parliamentary bodies were facing difficulties in discharging their duties as the treasury bench lawmakers were reluctant to discuss alleged corruption and irregularities at different ministries.

The AL on July 12 submitted names of its lawmakers for incorporation in the parliamentary standing committees and explained its stand on the bodies to diplomatic missions.

SESSION PROROGUED

The 13th session witnessed only four workdays and two general discussions on the August 21 grenade attack on an AL rally on the city's Bangabandhu Avenue and post-flood rehabilitation before prorogation shortly before midnight last night.

But the rule under which the discussions should be held triggered a heated debate between the main opposition and Speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar and sparked an AL-BNP confrontation on the parliament floor.

AL lawmakers walked out of parliament after an unprecedented protest in the well as the speaker turned down their plea for discussion under rule 62 of the rules of procedure, adjourning other business of the House.

He allowed the discussion on the issues after the stormy opposition walkout under an unspecified provision.

No bill was passed in the session.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Jatiya Party lawmaker TIM Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury gave the valedictory speeches from the treasury and opposition benches.