Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman criticized the ruling party today, alleging a lack of trust and broken promises in the passage of bills in parliament. He expressed these views during a briefing following the opposition’s walkout from the Jatiya Sangsad at 8:30 pm.
Shafiqur, who is also the Jamaat-e-Islami ameer, accused the government of using deceptive tactics to mislead the opposition. He compared the situation to waving an orange in front of a child, suggesting that the ruling party may view them as naïve.
At the same briefing, Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam mentioned that the opposition intended to stay but had to leave due to recent developments. He claimed that the government reneged on agreements related to important ordinances that were meant to become laws.
Nahid explained that a special committee had agreed on 98 ordinances for smooth approval, while contentious ones were to be discussed separately. However, changes were made to the July Uprising Memorial Museum Bill shortly before its passage without informing the opposition, which raised concerns.
Shafiqur revealed that a total of 133 ordinances from the interim government were presented to parliament and reviewed by a joint committee. He criticized the finalization of the committee’s report without adequate consultation with opposition members, leading to a breakdown of trust.
The opposition leaders highlighted that key issues like laws concerning the Anti-Corruption Commission, police reforms, enforced disappearances, and the Public Service Commission were neglected. They also criticized last-minute amendments to the museum bill, emphasizing the lack of transparency and time for review.
The walkout was staged as a protest against repeated breaches of commitments and procedural irregularities in parliament. Shafiqur and Nahid vowed to persist in their efforts to safeguard the rights of the people.