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Opposition Leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman raised both hands in prayer for Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed while speaking during a session of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS).
The incident took place on Thursday (September 3) during a discussion on the SRB Bill 2026 in the third session of the 13th Parliament. The discussion centered on extending the deadline for submitting the bill’s report.
At the beginning of his remarks, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman praised Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaisar Kamal, saying, “There is a spiritual radiance in you.”
He then praised Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed for his positive stance on extending the deadline for submitting the bill’s report. Addressing the minister, he said, “The sea is great, generous and vast. Alhamdulillah, under some of its influence, he has moved from two days to four or five days. I congratulate him for that.”
He then raised both hands in the manner of a supplication and said, “O Lord of the worlds, make his heart even bigger. Allah Ta’ala, make it bigger in the interest of the nation.”
Sitting in his designated seat in Parliament, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed was seen saying “Amin” and then wiping his face with his hands.
However, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman did not limit his remarks to praise. He also made the opposition’s position clear regarding the possible formation of a new specialized force or bureau following the abolition of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
“I am saying this again, very sincerely: if there is a need to form such a specialized force in the national interest, we will not stand in the way, Insha’Allah,” he said.
He stressed, however, that the matter should be carefully considered before such a force is established.
“Once we have been burned by hot water, we become afraid even when we see yogurt,” he said, adding that this fear is not limited to the opposition but is shared by the entire nation. “The nation is traumatized,” he said.
Referring to allegations of human rights violations by RAB in the past, the opposition leader told the Home Minister and the Speaker that “extreme violations of human rights have taken place through RAB.” He cited the Narayanganj seven-murder case as a prominent example and said the nation had been affected by many other incidents.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said he would be pleased if the bill were deferred further and brought before Parliament the following week after additional study and practical consideration.
“Even if this bill is not passed in this Parliament, I am hopeful that, once we are convinced, we will be able to do something better in the future,” he said.
He described the current Parliament as “the Parliament of the oppressed”, saying that victims of oppression remain deeply afraid and that many people still cannot sleep when they recall their past experiences.
Referring to MP Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem Arman, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said that Arman’s children were afraid to approach him even for up to a year after his return.
“It is not only Arman; many others have gone through the same experience,” he said. He also referred to the son of former BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Humam Quader, in this context.
