Quorum crisis again
JS session starts late, 3 of 7 whips turn up at trouble-shooting meet
Staff Correspondent
Quorum crisis continues to bug the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) forcing it yesterday to start business half an hour late while a meeting of the ruling coalition whips aimed at improving the situation also saw a poor participation.Only 10 members, against the 60 needed to make a quorum, were present in the House at 4:30pm yesterday, the scheduled time to start business. Speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar launched the session at 4:58pm with 50 lawmakers present. It needed a few more minutes to ensure a quorum. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia joined the session at 5:30pm, when a total of 70 deputies were present in the House. After the break for Magrib prayers, the session resumed 20 minutes late again due to quorum crisis. The House was adjourned at 8:00pm, when only 51 members were present, until 4:30pm today. WHIPS' MEET
Only three out of the seven ruling coalition whips turned up at the meeting yesterday aimed at fixing a strategy to check the recurrent quorum crises in the House. Chief Whip Khandakar Delwar Hossain chaired the meeting at his office attended by whips Rezaul Bari Deena and Shahidul Haque Jamal. During the 45-minute discussion, it was observed that a large number of ruling coalition deputies have been unable to participate in parliamentary proceedings due to their preoccupation with political programmes in their constituencies, a meeting source said. "They are busy in their constituencies to face oppositions' political programmes," said a whip after the meeting. The whips will sit again soon to discuss the issues and find ways and means for a smooth functioning of the House.
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