A heated debate erupted in the Jatiya Sangsad on Tuesday following remarks made by Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partha, lawmaker for Bhola-1, regarding the Zia family, which sparked an uproar from opposition members.
Participating in the discussion on the thanks motion for the President’s speech, Barrister Partha claimed that opposition leaders had spoken of “freeing the people from the Zia family.” This statement immediately led to a commotion within the House.
In response, Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman expressed his grievances, stating, “I am in trouble, Speaker. Everyone loves me, so everyone jokes about me.”
While acknowledging that Partha is a skilled debater who brought extensive materials to the floor, Shafiqur argued that some of the MP’s statements were accurate while others were incorrect.
The Jamaat Ameer issued a challenge to Partha to clarify exactly where, when, and how he had allegedly spoken about “annihilating” or “freeing” people from the Zia family.
“I do not make such reckless comments. I do not even say such things about Sheikh Hasina,” Shafiqur said.
He maintained that individuals must take responsibility for their own actions and requested that Partha maintain “sweetness” in his future speeches and avoid making such comments against him.
Responding to the challenge, Barrister Partha produced documents, stating, “I have documents in my hand; a leader of the NCP has spoken about freeing people from the Zia family.” As the uproar continued, Partha urged the opposition members not to become overly excited.
To bring the situation under control, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal intervened, instructing the Members of Parliament to take their seats and allow the Speaker to conduct the proceedings.
The deputy speaker noted that while an MP’s speech may not be to everyone’s liking, members do not have the right to interrupt in such a manner.
He reminded the House that every member has the freedom to speak with the permission of the Speaker, but no one has the right to attack another.
Following the intervention, Partha explained that he had referred to the Leader of the Opposition by name because he is a leader of an 11-party alliance. He added that the video clips he possessed contained further remarks, which he had not fully detailed to avoid further misunderstanding.
Shafiqur concluded by insisting that any documents or references provided on the floor of the House must be made clear to avoid such challenges.
