Opposition backs motion Seeks Treaty Scrutiny

Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman backed the government’s thanksgiving motion on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s maiden overseas tour on Saturday — but made clear his support came with a firm democratic condition: every major foreign agreement Bangladesh signs must be brought before parliament.

Speaking during the debate in the Jatiya Sangsad, Shafiqur described China and Malaysia as Bangladesh’s “longstanding and trusted friends” and assured the government of the opposition’s full cooperation on matters of national interest. But he insisted that support did not mean silence.

“All major foreign agreements should be placed before parliament in the interest of transparency and accountability,” he said, arguing that the 350 members of the House represent the country’s people and must be kept informed.

He stressed that parliament should remain the centre of all major state affairs and warned against bypassing the legislature on important national decisions — an implicit reference to the 13 MoUs signed with China and bilateral documents exchanged with Malaysia during the prime minister’s June 21-26 tour, none of which had been presented to the House before or after signing.

“Placing important international agreements before parliament would enable meaningful debate among lawmakers and help build greater confidence between the government and the public,” he said.

On foreign policy, his position was unequivocal. “Bangladesh belongs to all its citizens.

The country comes first,” he said, adding that the opposition would always stand beside any initiative serving the country’s greater interests.

“However, national interests must remain the highest priority, and interference by any foreign power is unacceptable.”

He also used the occasion to offer a sobering economic reality check.

He noted that Bangladesh remains heavily import-dependent, with ready-made garments and remittances constituting its two main sources of foreign earnings, and called for short, medium and long-term strategies to diversify both exports and overseas employment.

He expressed hope that the prime minister had prioritised these structural concerns during his meetings in Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.

Shafiqur also challenged the wider political culture, saying his party rejects a system where the ruling party claims all credit while the opposition merely criticises.

He called on both sides to engage constructively in the interest of nation-building.

He concluded by wishing the prime minister good health and continued success before reiterating his party’s support for the motion.

The message was carefully calibrated — cooperative in tone, firm in substance.

In a chamber that on Saturday spoke with unusual unanimity, Shafiqur’s intervention served as a reminder that support without scrutiny is not democratic support.

It is deference. And the opposition, he made plain, is not in parliament to defer.