Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman today strongly protested remarks made by a ruling party MP in parliament, declaring that no one has the right to hammer down another person’s contribution while claiming their own, and that no one has the authority to dictate which party someone should join.
The exchange took place during Tuesday’s National Parliament session presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, as MPs debated the President’s address.
Earlier, ruling party MP Fazlur Rahman had challenged the opposition leader’s claim of being a member of a martyred freedom fighter’s family and questioned how a child of a martyr’s family could join Jamaat-e-Islami.
In response, Shafiqur Rahman said, “The MP is older than me. He has spoken about his contribution to the Liberation War; but no one has been given the right to hammer down another person’s contribution while claiming their own. He has personally attacked me.”
“He has said that no freedom fighter or anyone from a martyred freedom fighter’s family can join Jamaat-e-Islami. So, does one need to ask him permission to join a party? This is my civic right,” the opposition leader added.
Shafiqur Rahman said neither the state nor the constitution has given anyone the right to interfere in which party he joins or which ideology he follows.
“I strongly condemn this. He has committed a serious offence by speaking about my identity and my choice of ideology,” he said, requesting the Speaker to expunge the “unparliamentary” parts of the ruling party MP’s speech from parliamentary records.
Expecting constructive behaviour from everyone in parliament, the opposition leader said, “We have come here to learn something good. Nothing great can be achieved by hitting or abusing someone.”
“Usually, when logic runs out, heads get heated. There is a saying — if you get angry, you have already lost. We don’t want to lose together; we want to win. Therefore, everyone should keep a cool head and speak truthfully with logic. Then people’s trust in parliament will be established.”
Issuing a ruling to calm the tensions, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed addressed MP Fazlur Rahman, saying, “It would be fine if you do not speak further. We do not want parliament to become heated.”
The Speaker ruled that any unparliamentary content in both MPs’ speeches would be expunged from the record.
