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Bangladesh set to restore parliamentary democracy

Other News Materials 25 January 2009 11:58 (UTC +04:00)

Bangladesh parliament is set to return to business Sunday after two years of military rule, dpa reported.

The inaugural session will elect a new speaker and deputy speaker, followed by an address from President Iajuddin Ahmed.

Shafique Ahmed, minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, will present 122 ordinances promulgated by the past military-backed government for the consideration of the house.

"I'll place all the ordinances. Parliament will decide which ordinance requires ratification and which does not," the minister said.

The ruling Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, which won an overwhelming majority in the December polls, vowed to accommodate the opposition's views in parliament.

In 300-strong parliament, the Awami League has 228 seats, its major ally Jatiya Party has 25, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal three, and Workers Party of Bangladesh has two seats.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by former premier Khaleda Zia has only 28 seats while its allies Bangladesh Jamat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Jatiya Party have two and one seat respectively.

The Liberal Democratic Party has one seat while there are four independent lawmakers in the ninth parliament.

The eighth parliament was dissolved on October 27, 2006, after a full term of five years.

Parliamentary elections originally scheduled for January 22, 2007, were postponed nearly two years by a military coup.

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