Minister Mohsin sings Rabindra Sangeet in Parliament but runs out of time

Social Welfare Minister Syed Mohsin Ali began his speech in Parliament on Tuesday in Bengali, then switched to English, but was stopped when he finally became a bit musical with Rabindra Sangeet, as his allotted time was up.

The Awami League leader from Moulvibazar, who had once faced a volley of criticism for smoking in public at a programme and threatening journalists, was taking part in the budget discussion.

He was speaking in Bengali first. Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah alerted him when his allotted time ended.

He sought a few more minutes and the deputy speaker granted him three more to wrap up.

Miah said it would have been better if he had spoken extempore and not from a written speech.

Ali explained he had to read the written version, as there were numerical data to be cited.

Once over with the prepared speech, the minister began speaking in English.

“What Malaysia was yesterday, what Malaysia is today, what Bangladesh was yesterday…” he continued.

Miah nodded his assent when he asked for permission to speak in English after delivering a few initial sentences.

“Honourable minister, your time is over,” Miah told him as the extra time, too, neared its limit.

Ali, eager to carry on, asked for more time, and the deputy speaker gave him two more minutes.

“Please conclude your speech within two minutes. I can’t afford to give you more than that,” he said.

Ali’s speech rolled on, in English, and, before concluding, he said he wanted to end with a few lines of a Rabindra Sangeet.

And he sang: “Aamar shokol dukher prodip jwele dibosh gele korbo nibedon… (Lighting the lamps of all my sorrow, I will make my offering when the day is done).”

The deputy speaker turned off his microphone at this stage.

But the MPs were in ruptures, thumping their desks at the end of the speech and during the song.

At the end, the deputy speaker expunged two words from his speech.

“Honourable minister, you addressed honourable Minister Amir Hossain Amu as ‘Amu Bhai’ (brother Amu) and Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed as ‘Tofail Bhai’ (brother Tofail). I am expunging the words ‘Bhai’ from your proceeding,” Miah said.