Dhaka, Sept 27 (bdnews24.com)—Former speaker and deputy leader of the opposition Abdul Hamid on Saturday termed a political comment made by Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar the previous day "undemocratic and against parliamentary norms".
Speaker Sircar at a roundtable on Friday said the Awami League would not be able to win the next parliamentary polls "even it formed a grand alliance of 100 parties".
Sircar also said Awami League had destroyed democracy in the past and democracy was not safe under Awami League in the future.
"[Sircar] cannot ridicule a party holding the office of speaker, a national and non-partisan institution," Abdul Hamid told bdnews24.com on Saturday.
"He has lost the moral authority as speaker, who must perform his duties without political bias, by making those comments," said Hamid.
"If he made the comment as a BNP leader quitting the speaker's chair, then it may have been acceptable."
"But as it is, his comment against Awami League is very unfortunate," said Hamid, an Awami League lawmaker elected from a Kishorganj constituency.
Questioning the Sircar's allegiance to the politics of the BNP, "founded by military ruler Ziaur Rahman", Hamid also bitterly criticised the party.
"The very emergence of the BNP is undemocratic. Ziaur Rahman promulgated martial law violating the constitution before forming his party.
"It is unacceptable for the BNP to talk about democracy," said Hamid.
He brushed aside the speaker's allegation that democracy was destroyed through the creation of BAKSAL, a one party government system introduced by the Awami League government on Jan 25, 1975.
" BAKSAL, whether it was wrong or right, was introduced by elected representatives through parliament. BAKSAL was formed in line with the constitution and democratic means," he said.
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