Dhaka, Jun 4 (bdnews24.com)—Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali has said Parliament should not have discussed Bishwa Sahitya Kendra founder Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed on Sunday.
On Monday Ali said he would have killed the discussion at the start had he been present.
MPs including those from the ruling Awami League castigated Prof Sayeed for alleged insult to the MPs and Ministers at a discussion.
On Sunday, Awami League MP Ali Ashraf conducted proceedings in absence of Speaker Abdul Hamid and his deputy in Parliament where the MPs castigated Prof Sayeed for his reported remarks. Ashraf had stated that Sayeed could be asked to come to Parliament to apologise for what he had said.
Prof Sayeed, on Monday refuted the allegation of undermining Parliament.
The MPs had initiated the discussion saying that Sayeed had termed MPs and ministers as 'thieves' and 'robbers' at a discussion organised by Transparency International, Bangladesh on Saturday.
Responding to media queries, Shawkat Ali said, "Holding discussion in parliament about an honourable person like him (Sayeed) based on a newspaper report and without knowing about the facts properly was not the right decision."
"An MP can make a mistake, but three of them should not make the same mistake," he added.
In a report, Bengali-language daily Inqilab quoted Sayeed as saying, "Members of parliament and ministers act like thieves and dacoits and breach oath."
Quoting the statement, Awami League Presidium Member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Jatiya Party leader Mujibul Haque Chunnu and independent MP Fazlul Azim criticised Prof Sayeed. Ashraf followed them.
"I have seen only a newspaper published the statement. On the other hand, he himself denied that he had said anything undermining Parliament. Parliament is not such a shallow place for reacting to every other incident," Deputy Speaker Ali observed.
"He is a respectable person. Comments against him should be made after being well-informed," he continued.
Asked about apologising to the Parliament, Abu Sayeed told bdnews24.com: "I won't apologise for something I did not say."
Saying he expected respectful behaviour from the MPs, Sayeed said, "They should have checked the facts before discussing the matter. Members of Parliament are the nation's defender; so we can expect at least respect from them."
About his remarks at the TIB programme, he said, "What I had said is that we would not call it corruption if a thief steals or a dacoit robs, because corruption is related to morality. Thieves and dacoits don't have any morals."
"What I said at the programme is that if a minister takes oath to ensure justice to everyone without considering friends or foes and breaks the oath, then it is corruption."
Sayeed said, "My comments were presented in a wrong way in the news report and the MPs reacted after reading that."
When asked if he would be acting on the matter during Monday's session, Ali said, "I will, if anybody brings forth the matter again. I will not initiate another discussion about this myself."
He, however, added, "The Speaker may talk about this, if he wishes."
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