Awami League to pick members after formation of all 39 JS bodies

"We demand chairmanship of the committees in proportion to party members," he said while speaking at a press conference at his Sangsad Bhaban office.

The Jatiya Sangsad appoints 50 standing committees -- 39 on different ministries and 11 on parliament affairs. The parliament has so far constituted 16 of the committees, only five of them on ministries.

Speaking on the party's participation in the upcoming budget session, he said the AL might join the session to protest if the government unveiled an anti-people budget.

"People elected us to mirror their views in the House and we will raise voices if taxation and budgetary allocations went against their interest," he said.

He, however, added that the AL was yet to decide on joining the budget session beginning on June 10.

AL Parliamentary Party will work out the decision after Leader of the Opposition and party chief Sheikh Hasina's return from abroad early next month.

"But we asked our legislators to submit notices and questions to the parliament secretariat in the run-up to the session," the former speaker said.

Speaking on the AL's boycott of the last session, he said: "We never said that we would not return to parliament."

Hamid said the opposition's participation and stay in the House depended on the government's attitude towards them.

He said the opposition deputies wanted to speak up in the House and point out the misdeeds and wrongdoing of the government.

"If they don't allow us to speak, we'll not sit idle," he said, adding: "We'll walk out of the House."

Alleging the chair's bias in running the Jatiya Sangsad, he said as a speaker he did not try to rob the voices of opposition lawmakers.

Hamid said he had allowed 57 minutes to former opposition leader Khaleda Zia on a point of order.

AL deputies boycotted the last session on the opening day protesting against the switching off of the microphone of the opposition chief. They alleged that the session was confined to only four days in a scheme to make the House ineffective.

AL leaders, however, hinted that party lawmakers were willing to join the budget session as they get time allocation on the budget speech.

Hamid also briefed newsmen on 'persecution' of his party-men at Kachua in Chandpur by the ruling party and the administration.

In a 'false killing case' the ruling party-men framed 1,500 people, largely AL workers, he said.

Hamid said he visited the area on Saturday.

Dr Borhan Uddin Khan Jahangir, former lawmaker and Kachua thana AL President Mezbahuddin Ahmed and Acting General Secretary Shahid Ullah were present.