Parliament saw heated exchanges on Sunday after a ruling party MP made remarks about the attire of female Jamaat-e-Islami opposition MPs, sparking strong protests.
The Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal later ordered part of his speech to be expunged from the official record.
The controversy erupted during a general discussion on the supplementary budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year when ruling party MP Monirul Haque Chowdhury (Cumilla-6) made comments referencing opposition lawmakers in his speech.
Referring to Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, Monirul Haque recounted an incident involving Opposition Deputy Leader Abdullah Mohammad Taher dating back to 2001. While narrating the account, he made remarks about Taher’s wife, which drew laughter in the House.
He then addressed female opposition MPs, congratulating them on becoming lawmakers and praising their educational qualifications and speaking abilities. However, he went on to make remarks questioning their identity and appearance, apparently referring to their attire.
The comments immediately triggered protests from opposition MPs, including female members who stood up in objection, briefly disrupting parliamentary proceedings.
Deputy speaker intervened, stating that personal matters and freedoms should not be discussed in Parliament.
As protests continued, Monirul Haque said he had not intended to offend anyone and was merely recounting a past incident. He later apologised, saying that if anyone felt hurt by his remarks, he regretted it and had no intention of insulting anyone.
The deputy speaker then announced that the portion of the speech relating to personal freedom would be expunged from the parliamentary record. Following the ruling, opposition MPs applauded and thanked the Chair.
Issuing a ruling, the he reminded members that all MPs were elected representatives of the people and must uphold the dignity and decorum of the House.
The issue resurfaced after the Asr prayers break when Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam raised it on a point of order. Thanking the deputy speaker for expunging the remarks, Nahid said the comments had crossed the limits of parliamentary decorum and constitutional rights.
He accused Monirul Haque of mocking the wife of the Opposition Deputy Leader and criticised his comments regarding the attire of female opposition MPs.
“Every individual in a democratic state has religious freedom and freedom of dress. As a Member of Parliament, he has violated those freedoms through such derogatory comments,” he said, adding that the remarks reflected a discriminatory mindset.
He urged lawmakers to refrain from making similar comments in future.
In response, the deputy speaker reiterated that the relevant portions of the speech had been removed for being inconsistent with parliamentary norms.
Later, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie sought to speak on the matter, but the Deputy Speaker did not allow further discussion.
