Treasury, opposition have equal right to question PM: Speaker

All members of parliament (MPs), both from the treasury and
opposition benches, have an equal right to ask questions to the prime minister
and leader of the House during the question-answer sessions in parliament,
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has said.
"Both
the treasury and opposition lawmakers have the right to ask questions to the PM
during the question-answer sessions in the House, and it is their right
according to the Rules of Procedure of parliament," he said when Water
Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee took the floor following the
PM's question-answer session in parliament and inquired about treasury bench
lawmakers' right to ask the PM questions during his question-answer session
fixed today (15 April).
The speaker, however, said that although ministers have the privilege of talking frequently with the PM, this is why ministers can leave this opportunity to other lawmakers.
The practice of questioning the PM in parliament is modelled on the Westminster
system's Prime Minister's Questions, usually scheduled on Wednesdays to enforce
ministerial accountability.
The
first 30 minutes of the designated session allow MPs to ask questions, though
in practice, it is often theatrical, with treasury bench members asking
pre-set, non-critical questions.
















