Opposition MPs on Wednesday rejoined Parliament after walking out following an altercation between senior BNP lawmaker Moudud Ahmed and Jute and Textile Minister Abdul Latif Siddique.
They walked into to the assembly at 6:05pm when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was already 30 minutes into her question-answer session.
After 35 minutes, they left Parliament, protesting a statement by the minister but rejoined the session after the Maghrib prayer break.
This was the opposition’s second walkout in Parliament after they ended their 83-day boycott to take part in the budget session on Monday.
Opposition MPs had walked out on the session’s very first day, within two hours of joining the session, to protest a government ‘ban’ on rallies. They, however, retuned the next day and sat through day’s proceedings.
Parliament heated up on Wednesday after the minister blamed past governments since the one by BNP founder late President Ziaur Rahman for the destruction of the jute industry.
The minister made this accusation while replying to query by Awami League MP Imaz Uddin Pramanik.
Pramanik wanted to know the steps the government had taken to revive the jute industry.
Prime Minister Hasina endorsed the minister’s remark by thumping her desk.
Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie and a few women MPs were at one on their feet.
The Speaker allowed one of them to ask a supplementary question. Moudud said, “I will not ask any supplementary question. The jute minister is saying irrelevant things.”
As the minister resumed his address, Moudud interjected, saying the minister must expunge his statement, but Latif kept speaking without paying heed.
The opposition walked out at this point.
Source: Bd news24