Senior Awami League leader and AL presidium member Matia Chowdhury is going to be the next Deputy Leader of the House.

The AL Parliamentary Party took the decision in its meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban office with Prime Minister and AL chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader proposed Matia Chowdhury’s name for the post, which was seconded by Chief Whip of Parliament, Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters emerging from the meeting.

The post of Deputy Leader fell vacant after Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury died on September 11.

Former presidium member of the ruling party, Sajeda was appointed the deputy leader of the 11th parliament for the third consecutive term.

Matia, an MP from Sherpur-2, was an agriculture minister during the Awami League government's tenure.

There is no mandatory legal obligation to appoint someone in the post of the Deputy Leader in Parliament.

During the BNP-Jamaat government from 2001-06, the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia did not appoint anyone as deputy leader. 

However, Awami League has always placed a senior leader in this position of ministerial rank.

Matia is a five-time Member of Parliament.

In the meeting, the Prime Minister said that she has a report card from intelligence agencies on the lawmakers’ activities and those who are connected with people and doing good work in their constituencies, will get nomination in the next election, meeting sources said.

“But those who are detached from people will not be considered for nomination,” the PM was quoted as saying by the source.

About BNP’s ongoing anti-government movement, the PM said the government has no objection to the opposition’s ongoing movement if it is carried out peacefully. 

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“But they will be tackled with an iron hand if they resort to arson attack and vandalism likewise its anti-government movement it had carried out in the past,” a lawmaker quoted Hasina as saying in the meeting. 

The PM said her government will not run for new development projects at this moment considering the economic situation of the country.

Rather, the government will emphasise on the completion of the ongoing projects.

The meeting lasted for around one-and-a-half-hour starting around 8:00pm.

The Prime Minister called upon MPs to talk to people and tell them about the government’s various development activities.

She also said that the government is determined to hold the next general election in a free and fair manner.

Read more: Sajeda Chowdhury's death is a great loss, PM tells JS