Due to ongoing road blockades by students, outgoing Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley on Wednesday had to abandon his car on Dhaka Expressway and find alternative ways to reach the parliament building for his scheduled farewell meeting with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury. Whiteley was stuck on the expressway as students protesting against quota in government jobs paralysed the city’s traffic causing huge suffering to the commuters. Read more: Dhaka-Mymensingh rail communication disrupted as BAU students continue “Bangla Blockade” He shared a video, taken by Deputy Head of Mission Dr Bernd Spanier, depicting his journey- partly by walking and a CNG ride –to the destination.    “We abandoned the car on the expressway due to protests and made it to the call on Hon Speaker by CNG - a commemorative video made by Bernd, including a death-defying high-wire sequence,” Whiteley wrote sharing the video from his Facebook account. Whiteley is due to leave Dhaka wrapping up his three-year tenure in Bangladesh. Read more: Bangla Blockade: Students block Barishal-Dhaka highway

The 19th session of the 11th Parliament was prorogued on Thursday after five sittings. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the prorogation order of the president at 8:48pm. The Parliament in this session elected Shamsul Hoque Tuku as the deputy speaker. Three bills were passed in the House during the session that convened on August 28. Some 37 questions were received for the prime minister to respond. She replied to 15 questions. Read: Parliament passes Public Debt bill by voice vote The session received 986 questions for different ministers and they replied to 369 questions. Besides, two proposals were adopted in the Parliament after discussions in this session. One proposal was on government measures to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, global unrest following Russia-Ukraine war and another was on the need for identifying the masterminds of August 15 carnage in 1975.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Sunday nominated a five-member panel of chairmen for the 19th session of the 11th parliament. The panel members are Maj Rafiqul Islam (retd), Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali, Abdul Majid Khan, Anisul Islam Mahmud and Ayesha Ferdous The speaker announced their names at the beginning of the day’s business. Also read: Houses of Speaker, Dy Speaker on Parliament premises are legal: SC They will conduct the House proceedings in chronological order in the absence of the speaker and the deputy speaker. END/UNB/FF/F   

Parliament on Sunday unanimously adopted a condolence motion expressing profound grief at the demise of eight former lawmakers, including ex-finance minister AMA Muhith, as well as those who died in the Sitakunda depot fire and some noted personalities. The seven other ex-lawmakers Zubed Ali (Netrakona), former state minister for water resources advocate Gautam Chakroborty (Tangail), BM Nazrul Islam (Satkhira), Shah Jikrul Ahmad (Brahmanbaria-5), Prof Dr Khandaker Abdul Jalil (Shariatpur) and Ashika Akbar (Tangail). Also read: JS selects 5-member panel of chairpersons Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the motion in the House in the beginning of the session. A one-minute silence was observed and a munajat offered seeking eternal peace for the departed souls.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Sunday nominated a five-member panel of chairpersons for the 18th session of the 11th parliament. The panel members are Shamsul Islam Tuku, AB Tajul Islam, Muhibur Rahman Manik, Mujibul Huq Chunnu and Hamima Akhter Khanom. Also read: Parliament goes into budget session They will conduct the House proceedings in chronological order in the absence of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.

The Parliament opened its budget session on Sunday. The national budget for FY2022-23 will be debated and approved during this 18th session of the 11th Parliament. The session started at 5pm with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. Also read:JS selects 5-member panel of chairpersons Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal is slated to place the budget proposals on June 9. On May 18 last, President Abdul Hamid summoned the JS session exercising power bestowed upon him by Article 72(1) of the Constitution. The 17th session of 11th parliament was prorogued on April 6 after eight sittings.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has said "Australia Awards" recipients are returning home with innovative ideas and knowledge, and the ability to make a significant contribution to the country as leaders in their respective fields. She thanked the Australian government for the professional development opportunities provided by Australia Awards. Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer hosted a reception on Thursday to bid farewell to new Australia Awards scholars and welcome home recently returned alumni who have completed their studies in Australia.  Australia Awards alumni, senior Bangladesh government representatives, development and business community leaders, and officials from the Australian High Commission were present.  Also read:Agri-Business Conclave to bridge Dutch innovation, tech for dev of Bangladesh agro, food industry

The Parliament Secretariat Commission on Wednesday approved a Tk 341.89 crore budget for Parliament to spend on its development and non-development activities for FY2022-23. The approval was given at the 33rd meeting of the Commission held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. Also read: Budget 2022-23: Economic self-reliance, adequate supply of commodities to be key challenges The budget for the next fiscal is 1.72 percent higher than the main budget of the current financial year, which was Tk 336.14 crore. The Commission in its meeting also revised the budget for the outgoing fiscal to Tk 316.01 crore. Commission Members Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq and Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud was present on behalf of the opposition leader in the House. Chief Whip Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury attended the meeting on special invitation. Speaker Shirin Sharmin later told reporters that the Parliament spent less than the allocation for the current FY21-22.   “We can return around Tk 80 crore at the end of the fiscal, as per the information from the Secretariat officials,” she said. She pointed out that the money was saved as there were fewer working days during a session and reduced foreign trips and training programmes due to Covid-19 pandemic. Also read: JS budget session to commence June 5 The meeting increased allowances for its employees and officials while the House in session.  Parliament Secretariat's Secretary AKM Abdus Salam placed the agenda of the meeting, while the high officials concerned were present.

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Wednesday nominated a five-member panel of chairmen for the 8th session of the 11th parliament.

The second budget session (8th session) of the 11th parliament began with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudury in the chair on Wednesday afternoon amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.