Staff Reporter:
Parliament witnessed heated exchanges on Sunday after a ruling party lawmaker made remarks about the attire of female opposition MPs from Jamaat-e-Islami, triggering strong protests from opposition MPs and prompting the Deputy Speaker to expunge part of his speech.
The controversy erupted during the general discussion on the supplementary budget for fiscal year 2025-26 when ruling party MP Monirul Haque Chowdhury (Cumilla-6) delivered a speech that included comments about opposition lawmakers.
Referring to Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, Monirul recounted a story involving Opposition Deputy Leader Abdullah Mohammad Taher dating back to 2001.
While narrating the story, he made remarks about Taher’s wife that drew laughter in the House.
He then turned to the female opposition MPs, congratulating them on becoming lawmakers and praising their educational qualifications and speaking abilities.
However, he went on to make comments questioning their identity and appearance, apparently referring to their attires.
His remarks immediately triggered protests from opposition MPs including female members who stood up and voiced objections. The uproar briefly disrupted parliamentary proceedings.
The Deputy Speaker subsequently announced that the portion of Monirul’s speech concerning personal freedom would be expunged from the parliamentary record.
Following the decision, opposition MPs applauded and thanked the Chair.
Later, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie sought to speak on the matter, but the Deputy Speaker did not allow further discussion.
