12 February 2004	Thursday	20 Zilhaj 1424

DHAKA, Feb 11: The Jatiya Party, the second largest opposition bloc in the Bangladesh parliament with 14 MPs in a 300-strong House, began a boycott of the parliament session this week in protest against the government's "failure to ensure rights of the opposition".

The JP' decision came a day after its lawmakers staged a walkout to condemn the authorities' action in stopping the party's chief, former president H.M. Ershad, from going abroad on Friday.

Immigration officials stopped Mr Ershad at the Dhaka airport from leaving for Sri Lanka and the Maldives on a six-day private visit. "We will not return to the House until the government ensures our rights," Dr Fazle Rabbi, deputy leader of the Jatiya Party Parliamentary Group, told reporters.

With the boycott of JP, the parliament is now being run with almost no opposition. The Awami League, the main opposition bloc with 58 MPs, has been staying away from the House since June 25 last year.