Six lawmakers test positive prior to special parliament session

Six lawmakers tested positive for Covid-19 as samples were collected prior to the special session of Jatiya Sangsad this evening to mark Mujib Borsho, birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The lawmakers are Habibun Nahar, deputy minister for environment, forest and climate change affairs ministry, Md Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, former whip and lawmaker from Naogaon-2, Shafiul Islam from Dhaka-10, Nuruzzaman Biswas from Pabna-4 and two lawmakers from reserved seats for women, Nadira Yasmin Jolly and Tahmina Begum, the parliament secretariat said in a release.

Samples for Covid-19 testing were collected at the parliament Media Centre on November 6 to test the MPs, journalists and officials of the parliament secretariat.

The session is due to start at 6:00pm today.

A resolution will be passed following discussions by lawmakers on the life and works of Bangabandhu, said an official.

This will not be the first time the Jatiya Sangsad hosted a special session, sources at the parliament secretariat said.

Earlier, the parliament went into special sittings on two occasions -- January 31 and June 18 in 1974 -- while the parliament was in session.

Former Yugoslav President Marshal Josip Broz Tito and then Indian president VV Giri addressed the parliament respectively in those sittings, sources told The Daily Star.

The special session was scheduled to be held on March 22 but it got postponed following the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

President Abdul Hamid on October 21 convened the special session of parliament. The president convened the special session, exercising power bestowed upon him by Article 72 (1) of the constitution.