Opposition walks out chanting ‘Killer Chuppu’

Lawmakers from the opposition alliance of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party staged a walkout on the first day of the first sitting of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday, protesting against the address of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

A total of 77 MPs from the alliance left the chamber during the President’s speech after demonstrating and chanting slogans inside the House.

The protest began shortly after Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed announced at 3:33 pm that the President would shortly enter the chamber.

Opposition lawmakers rose from their seats and began chanting slogans, displaying placards criticising the President and accusing him of being aligned with authoritarian rule.

Three minutes later, when the President entered the chamber, MPs from the treasury benches – including Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and members of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party – stood up to greet him in accordance with parliamentary convention.

The President then took his seat beside the Speaker.
However, opposition MPs did not follow the usual protocol of greeting the head of state. Instead, they continued their protest, holding up placards and chanting slogans.

Some of the posters carried messages accusing the President of supporting authoritarianism and demanding accountability.

At one stage, Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman also joined the protest holding a placard.

The Prime Minister remained seated and observed the developments from his bench.

Opposition MPs briefly paused their protest during the national anthem, standing in silence for about a minute as a mark of respect.

When the President moved to the podium to begin his address, however, they resumed their demonstration and gathered near the entrance to the chamber.

Despite the commotion, President Shahabuddin began reading his prepared speech, although his remarks were largely drowned out by slogans from the protesting lawmakers.

Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam led chants directed at the President, including slogans asserting that authoritarianism and democracy could not coexist.

Other lawmakers, including Hasnat Abdullah and Abdul Hannan Masud, joined in with further slogans demanding that the President step down.

Senior opposition figures, including Deputy Leader Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, also participated in the demonstration.

The MPs later left the chamber together while continuing to chant slogans and proceeded to the opposition meeting room on the ninth floor of the parliament complex.

Speaking to journalists afterwards, opposition whip Shahjahan Chowdhury said the alliance refused to listen to the President’s address, alleging that he had failed to act as a neutral guardian of the state.

Earlier in the sitting, during remarks on a condolence motion, Nahid Islam and other opposition MPs had warned the Speaker that individuals they described as “associates of authoritarian rule” should not be allowed to address the parliament.

Later, Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher told reporters that the government had allowed the President to deliver his speech citing constitutional requirements.

He argued that the authorities could have avoided the address in light of the political developments surrounding the July uprising.

The protest and subsequent walkout highlighted the sharp political divisions in the House as the 13th Jatiya Sangsad began its first sitting.