First week back

Fairly busy, first week back in Parliament. Monday I spoke in a debate on Pakistan, Wednesday, a question on Zimbabwe, Thursday, a question on Iraqi refugees, and chaired a meeting for Sheikh Hasina, Leader of the Awami League in Bangladesh. She spoke about the forthcoming elections, due on December 18, and criticised the caretaker government's decision to continue emergency rule up to polling day. But she pointed out also that the only time in the history of Bangladesh that power has been handed over peacefully at a democratic election was in 2001, when she was defeated by the BNP.