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On
the advice of the Prime Minister tendered to him in
writing, the President summons Parliament specifying the
time and place of the first meeting. The period
beginning with the first sitting of Parliament and
ending with its prorogation is termed a session
of Parliament. A sitting means the meeting of Parliament from the commencement of
its business to the termination thereof for a day. A
meeting, which commences on a day and continues into the
next day is considered to be a sitting of the day on
which it commenced.
Once a session commences the Speaker may adjourn
it to a date and time fixed by him.
The
list of business for a sitting, prepared by Secretary of
Parliament with the approval of the Speaker, is called
the Orders
of the Day, a copy of which is made available to
all Members of Parliament at their addresses in Dhaka
usually the night before the sitting.
At
the commencement of each session, the Speaker nominates,
from amongst Members of Parliament, a panel
of not more than five Chairpersons and arranges
their names in an order of precedence. In the absence of
the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, the person whose
name is at the top of the panel, from amongst those
present in the sitting, takes the Chair.
Government
business is transacted on four days of the week
commencing on Sunday. The fifth day in the week, i.e.
Thursday, is called Private Members' Day on which Private Members Business has
preference. If a Thursday is allotted for transaction of
government business, which happens in very rare cases
such as presentation of budget in Parliament, one of the
government days will then usually be earmarked as a
Private Members Day. Some business such as questions,
call attention notices, questions of privileges,
discussions for short duration, adjournment motions, and
other matters which are essentially private members
business, are transacted either on all days or,
ironically, only on government days.
A
Minister who is not a Member of Parliament does not
enjoy the right to vote, nor can he speak in Parliament
on any matter not related to his Ministry.
If
at any time during which Parliament is in session the
attention of the person presiding is drawn to the fact
that the number of members present is less than sixty,
he shall either suspend the meeting until at least sixty
members are present, or adjourn it.
A
session of Parliament is prorogued by the President upon
the advice of the Prime Minister, which is tendered to
him in writing.
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