Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman on Friday accused the ruling party of breaching prior commitments and said the opposition no longer has trust in the government, following a walkout from the National Parliament session.
Speaking at a briefing at the Parliament gate after leaving the House, Leader of the Opposition Shafiqul Rahman said the government had failed to uphold agreed procedures regarding the processing of ordinances and bills.
He alleged that 133 ordinances issued on 12 March were placed before Parliament with a requirement to pass them within 30 working days.
A parliamentary committee headed by ruling party MP Zainul Abedin, which also included opposition members, was formed to review the ordinances.
However, he claimed the committee’s first meeting was held without opposition participation and decisions were taken unilaterally, triggering the dispute.
Shafiqur Rahman further said several key ordinances, including those related to a referendum, a commission on enforced disappearances, a human rights commission, a police commission, and the Public Service Commission, were not tabled in Parliament despite being scheduled for discussion on the final sitting day.
He said the government’s assurance that these would be brought later could not be accepted.
He described the move as a “breach of trust” and said the opposition had lost confidence in the process.
The opposition leader also criticised the late distribution of legislative documents, saying lawmakers were handed large volumes of papers shortly before proceedings, leaving no adequate time for review or informed discussion.
Shafiqur Rahman said that even the culture minister had stated he was not informed about the amendments in advance. “If even ministers are unaware of amendments, then who is controlling the process?” he questioned, adding that such practices undermined parliamentary transparency.
Jamaat ameer further alleged that important national issues were being sidelined while the government advanced proposals in its own interest. He also referred to remarks made in Parliament regarding election-related matters, claiming they raised questions about the integrity of the process.
Shafiqur Rahman also referred to remarks attributed to the State Minister for Local Government, who reportedly said that Muhammad Yunus had gone to London and “handed over a trophy” to the captain of the July Movement.
“If the trophy has already been handed over there, then what is the purpose of the election? It indicates that the fate of the election has been decided through backdoor communication and the nation is being blackmailed,” he alleged.
He further said that in previous instances, governments had initially disregarded certain bills but were later compelled to place them before Parliament. Expressing hope for a similar outcome, he said the current government would eventually be forced to take the “right position.”
Reiterating the opposition’s position, he said they would not compromise on national interests and warned of continued political movement outside Parliament.
“We did not get justice in Parliament. We will take this demand to the streets with the people. The struggle will continue until our rights are ensured,” he said.
Earlier, Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam said the opposition was forced to walk out despite attempting to remain in the session. He alleged that prior understandings on several ordinances, including the July Memorial Museum Bill, were not honoured and criticised the introduction of last-minute amendments without consultation.
