A brief exchange took place in Parliament on Tuesday after a Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker referred to the High Court’s cancellation of BNP candidate Aslam Chowdhury’s nomination in the 13th parliamentary election over an alleged loan default, prompting the Speaker to say that any final determination rests with the Election Commission (EC).
Raising the matter on a point of order, Jamaat MP Md Nazibur Rahman cited a recent parliamentary discussion on whether any loan defaulters were serving as Members of Parliament.
He said that during an earlier debate, an independent MP had asked whether there were any loan defaulters in Parliament, to which the Speaker had replied that he could not comment as the matter was sub judice.
“Today, a person’s nomination has been cancelled on the grounds of loan default. Can we now say that he was a loan defaulter?” Nazibur Rahman said, referring to the High Court ruling involving Aslam Chowdhury, who contested from Chattogram-4 on a BNP ticket.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed ruled that the issue did not constitute a valid point of order.
He said the status of whether a person remains or becomes a Member of Parliament depends on the Election Commission.
“If the Election Commission issues an order in line with the court’s directive, I will be able to inform the House accordingly. We must wait for the EC’s final decision before making any conclusive remarks,” the Speaker said.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed also intervened, referring to the earlier parliamentary discussion.
“We said there is no loan defaulter in this Parliament, although some members may have outstanding loans,” he said.
Referring to the High Court verdict, the minister noted that the individual concerned had not taken oath as a Member of Parliament.
“He is not an MP. His candidature was challenged and the High Court has delivered its verdict. Had he been an MP, the matter could have been discussed differently. This is not a point of order,” he added.
Responding, the Speaker said the Chair should be allowed to determine whether an issue qualifies as a point of order, but agreed with the minister’s observation that the individual concerned is not an MP.
“Your explanation that he is not an MP is correct,” the Speaker said.
