Home
+
Published : 09 Apr 2026, 07:07 PM
Lawmakers from the Jamaat-e-Islami walked out of parliament in protest against the passage of the Local Government (Municipality) Amendment Bill, 2026, along with several other bills.
Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman led the exit around 6pm, shortly after the municipality bill was passed despite objections from the Opposition bench.
Speaking on the floor before the walkout, Shafiqur expressed his frustration over the legislative process.
"It is regrettable but true that several anti-people bills have been passed today despite logical opposition. We do not want to take responsibility for this, and therefore, we are walking out of the parliament," he said.
The Opposition raised specific objections to at least six bills passed during the session, citing a lack of adequate time for scrutiny and debate.
The walkout followed days of tension over a special committee’s recommendation over converting 133 ordinances into laws --recommending 98 be passed as they are, 15 with amendments, and 16 for further review.
Following the walkout, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed questioned the logic behind the opposition’s move, noting that they had participated in the entire legislative process.
"They cooperated through the first, second, and third readings. Some even raised their hands in support," the minister said.
"Does a walkout make any sense after participating in the whole process? I would like to know."
Despite the friction, the minister thanked the opposition members for their participation and expressed hope that they would return to the session after the evening prayer break.
Earlier in the session, the opposition leader complained about the allocation of time, alleging that ministers were allowed lengthy responses while opposition members were restricted.
In response, the speaker noted that while the tradition is to allow two minutes for raising objections, the chair could extend the time if the proposals were deemed logical.
