Opposition walks out over ‘deception’ claim

Opposition lawmakers staged a walkout from the Parliament on Friday evening, accusing the treasury bench of breaching a prior political consensus over the passage of a key bill.

The walkout took place around 7:30pm under the leadership of Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman, following a heated exchange between the two sides over amendments to July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum Ordinance issued during the interim government period.

Earlier, Shafiqur Rahman alleged that the government had violated trust by altering provisions tied to ordinances from the interim administration.

At one stage of the debate, he told the House, “We are leaving parliament with regret today.

We will meet again in the future,” before leading opposition members out of the chamber.

The dispute began in the afternoon over the approval of the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum Ordinance.

A parliamentary special committee had recommended that the ordinance be passed without any changes.

However, the House ultimately passed the bill with three amendments, which the
opposition claims increase government control over the institution.

Following the passage of the bill, Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam alleged that the ruling side had broken a political consensus by introducing last-minute amendments. He said the bill was passed in an altered form through “deception in broad daylight.”

In response, members of the treasury bench maintained that the amendments were introduced by a private member rather than the government, adding that the law could be amended again in the future if necessary.

As tensions escalated, opposition members carried out the walkout, highlighting a breakdown in parliamentary cooperation.

The Jatiya Sangsad passed the bill with the amendments, which include provisions appointing the Cultural Affairs Minister or State Minister as chairperson of the museum’s governing board, and granting the government authority to revoke the nomination of any board member at any time in the public interest.

Previously, the ordinance had stipulated that a distinguished expert in education, history, literature, or culture would serve as chairperson under conditions set by the government. The amendment replaces that provision with a political appointment.

Another amendment expands resignation provisions, allowing both the chairperson and members to step down by notifying the government, while also giving the government the power to cancel appointments at its discretion.

A further amendment removes the fixed three-year tenure for the chairperson, along with the provision allowing a single reappointment.

Despite objections from opposition lawmakers, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said there was no procedural scope to raise such objections at that stage of the legislative process, noting that amendments should have been proposed earlier.

All three amendments, moved by ruling party lawmaker Anisur Rahman, were adopted before the bill was passed by voice vote.