Sessions of Parliament
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.
