Minister’s Public Rally Remark Stirs Parliament Debate
Bangladesh’s Jatiya Sangsad, the national parliament, faced a heated debate on Thursday. Tensions rose during the opening day of the third session. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed made remarks that angered opposition lawmakers. They strongly protested, saying the Home Minister made them seem less important.
The disruption stopped parliament’s work for about 10 minutes. Opposition members shouted and protested. The Home Minister said he would withdraw his remark. But the situation did not calm down quickly.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed tried many times to restore order. At one point, he said he was worried about parliament’s future. The incident happened during the question-and-answer session on Thursday afternoon.
Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shafiqul Islam Masud asked a question. He said people were being robbed in daylight. He also said lawmakers were being attacked. Masud stated that opposition members were arrested in false cases. He asked what steps the Home Minister was taking.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed asked Masud to repeat his question. After Masud repeated it, the Home Minister responded. He said, “Giving a speech at Shahbagh Square and giving a speech in parliament are not the same thing.”
Opposition lawmakers objected strongly to this remark. They stood up and began shouting in protest. The Home Minister then said he did not mean the remark for anyone specific. He later said he was withdrawing his comment. But the protests continued.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed repeatedly asked opposition lawmakers to sit down. He urged them to listen to the Home Minister. The Home Minister tried to continue speaking amidst the noise. The Speaker asked him to face the Speaker while talking.
Later, the Home Minister said specific questions should be asked about robberies. He said general statements were not helpful in parliament. The Speaker then gave the floor to Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman.
Shafiqur Rahman said the Home Minister had used such words before. He accused the Home Minister of belittling everyone. Rahman said, “This is not parliamentary culture; this is parliamentary fascism.” He demanded an apology from the Home Minister. He also asked for the remarks to be removed from the parliamentary record. Opposition lawmakers hit their desks to show support.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said everyone works for the people in the Jatiya Sangsad. He said parliament needs to follow its rules. The Speaker observed growing intolerance among some members. He said parliament was elected for five years and everyone had the freedom to speak.
The Speaker promised to check the Home Minister’s remarks. Any unparliamentary words would be removed. He asked the opposition not to stop others from speaking. He also expressed deep concern for the future of democracy. He urged all members to protect it.
