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Members of the opposition alliance walked out of the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday evening, the first day of the third session of the 13th Parliament.
The lawmakers, led by Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman, left the parliamentary chamber at around 8:07pm after voicing objections to the government’s approach to constitutional reforms and implementation of the July National Charter.
Before the scheduled introduction of bills, Shafiqur Rahman took the floor and raised the opposition’s concerns over the proposed special committee on constitutional amendments, the Constitutional Reform Council and the implementation of the referendum verdict.
He said the opposition wanted comprehensive reforms and would not participate in a process that, in its view, sought to implement only partial reforms while bypassing the broader reform agenda.
The opposition leader then announced that his lawmakers would not take part in the subsequent proceedings and left the chamber. Members of the Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP) and other parties in the 11-party opposition alliance followed him.
Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal, who was presiding over the session, urged the opposition lawmakers to remain in the chamber and participate in the debate, saying that differences between the government and opposition should be discussed inside Parliament.
The walkout came shortly before the scheduled introduction of the National Human Rights Commission Bill and the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy Bill.
