With the new cabinet sworn in for the Awami League’s third straight term, the ruling party top brasses are deliberating their choices for the key parliament roles.
An astounding landslide win in the Dec 30 polls has ensured AL an overwhelming control in the 11th parliament as they enjoy a thumping majority, an unprecedented one as well.
According to party insiders, discussions are on among the party leadership, including those who made it to the cabinet, to choose ideal candidates among the lawmakers for the key parliament roles.
10th parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is likely to carry on with her role into the 11th while the post of deputy speaker is getting a new face, say people familiar on the matter.
Former Law Minister Abdul Matin Khasru’s is said to be a choice for the deputy speaker. A couple of others including Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu’s name have been discussed for the role as well.
New faces are also likely for the roles of deputy leader of the parliament and chief whip. The prime minister, like her previous terms, is said to be inclined to picking a woman lawmaker as the deputy leader of the house. Agriculture Minister for last two straight terms Matia Chowdhury is among the top contenders for the role in Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury’s place.
Two other senior leaders and former ministers Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed are also being considered, sources say.
For the role of chief whip, 10th parliament whip and Madaripur-1 MP Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton’s name is being discussed. A number of sources say, Liton, an elected lawmaker for six straight times, is in the good books of Awami League chief Hasina. However, Chief Whip of the 10th parliament ASM Feroz is also being considered for the role.
For the post of whips a number of lawmakers including Naogaon-1 MP Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Joypurhat-2 MP Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon, Chattogram-6 MP ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury and Gazipur-4 MP Simin Hossain Rimi are said to have good chances. According to another source, Sherpur-1 MP Atiur Rahman Atik, who served as a whip in the last parliament, may get appointed for the role once again.
While the prime minister picked a number of young leaders in her new cabinet, the chairmen of different parliamentary committees will be made from experienced ministers from the last cabinet. Some of the parliamentary panel heads of the 10th parliament may be chosen to continue in some committees while one or two-panel chiefs can be picked from AL’s allies. The ruling party may even pick senior parliamentarians of the opposition party to head parliamentary committees, according to party insiders.
Most of the parliament panels will be formed during the course of the first session of the new parliament, they added.
When asked on the matter, ASM Firoz told Bangla Tribune, “In some of the parliamentary panels the speaker will be the ex officio chief while heads of other ministerial committees will be picked up by the leader of the house.”
Asked on the prospect of landing the Chief Whip’s role, Liton told Bangla Tribune, “I have no information in this regard. The leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will appoint for the post, therefore, only she knows who the pick is.”
Speaker Chaudhury told Bangla Tribune that chief whip and whips will be appointed prior to the first sitting of the parliament.
“The whips will be appointed according to the names’ proposed by the leader of the house,” she said before adding, “The sitting arrangement in the House will be finalized upon discussion with two chief whips of the government and the opposition.”
According to the Constitution, the president appoints the chief whip, equivalent to the ranks of a minister and the whips, equivalent to state minister rank. As the process goes, the prime minister sends the list for the post to the Speaker who seeks President’s approval for the appointment. Once approved, the Parliament Secretariat issues gazette notifications.
The speaker and the deputy speaker are selected in the first parliament session where the MP’s vote on proposed names for the roles.