October 5, 2003	Sunday	Sha’aban 8, 1424

DHAKA, Oct 4: The legislators of the Commonwealth countries began a week-long conference on parliamentary democracy here on Saturday morning, with the main opposition in the Bangladesh parliament boycotting the proceedings.

This is for the first time in the 92 years of the history of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) that the parliamentary opposition of the host country has stayed away from the conference, Mr.Bob Speller, chairman of the CPA, told newsmen.

Mr Speller is scheduled to meet opposition leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed, on Sunday afternoon to ask her to attend the conference. Earlier, Hasina’s party turned down a similar request from CPA secretary general David Marshall and speaker of the Bangladesh parliament Jamiruddin Sircar, on the plea that the government of Bangladesh “has failed to behave with the Opposition”.

Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia is scheduled to officially inaugurate the conference at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Centre on October 7.