Bangladesh News

A number of treasury and opposition bench lawmakers yesterday engaged in a squabble again sending the House in disorder for over five minutes.

The squabble was for how much time BNP lawmaker Moudud Ahmed would be allowed to speak during the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the president’s speech.

Without microphones, some Awami League and BNP lawmakers pointed fingers and showed sneering gestures at each other. They also shouted “shut up”. A few of them stood on their feet and shouted.

Deputy Speaker Col (retd) Shawkat Ali, who was presiding over the sitting, refused to give the floor to chief whips of treasury and opposition benches, who wanted to help in bringing order back.

The disorder ensued when the deputy speaker allocated 20 minutes for Moudud to speak on the thanksgiving motion around 8:15pm. Moudud refused to take part in the discussion saying the opposition chief whip had allocated 30 minutes for him. He sat down without taking part in the discussion.

As Moudud refused to speak, a number of BNP lawmakers including the opposition chief whip protested the chair’s decision to give Moudud only 20 minuets.

“I allocated 30 minutes for him [Moudud]. Why have you [deputy speaker] cut it short,” Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque said loudly without a microphone.

Opposition MPs were perusing the deputy speaker to give Moudud the 30 minutes while the deputy speaker was repeatedly asking Moudud to begin his speech. But Moudud and opposition lawmakers were saying, “no, no”.

At that time, the deputy speaker said, “Why are you saying no? It is the speaker who determines the time for a lawmaker’s speech.”

The situation did not improve rather it deteriorated for three to four minutes.

Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim pointed at the opposition chief whip and other BNP lawmakers, who were trying to persuade the deputy speaker, and shouted “shut up”.

Infuriated by Selim’s remark, a number of BNP lawmakers stood on their feet, pointed fingers at Selim and started shouting “you shut up”.

A number of Awami League lawmakers also stood up and shouted. Ruling party Chief Whip Abdus Shahid and Whip ASM Firoz calmed their party lawmakers down.

The deputy speaker finally asked Moudud to determine the time he wanted to speak for. The BNP lawmaker said he wanted to speak for 35 minutes.

“All right. That’s a deal. You will speak for 35 minutes and will finish your speech within the time,” he said.

When Moudud started speaking order returned.