Dhaka, May 09: Bangladesh's main opposition Awami League has decided to boycott the current Parliament session and threatened not to return at all in future to protest the appointment of an official to the foreign ministry. Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad began its 7th session last evening with Awami League members raising the issue of appointment of an official, accused of involvement in the November 1975 killing of several top league leaders at Dhaka Central Jail, to the foreign ministry. The party staged a walkout after the speaker, Jamiruddin Sircar, did not allow Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina to draw attention to the issue raised by a fellow lawmaker.

"We will not return to Parliament until the issue is settled," Hasina told reporters. "We have to think twice before deciding to attend the coming budget session," the opposition leader said.

Major Khairuzzaman, the man accused in the jail killing, was not appointed to the foreign ministry as alleged by the opposition, rather the government was implementing an order of the court, foreign minister M Morshed Khan told the house (in the absence of opposition). Khairuzzaman was arrested and sacked when Hasina's Awami League came to power in 1996 and the jail killing case was taken up. Kahiruzzaman moved to court which ordered him reinstated.

"We only reinstated him," the foreign minister said.

Bureau Report