Row over Gazi Nazrul

A row erupted in Parliament on Monday over the inclusion of Gazi Nazrul Islam, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker for Satkhira-4 who has been expelled from the party, in a parliamentary standing committee, with his name eventually removed following objections from the opposition.

Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni moved a proposal to form the Committee on Government Assurances, nominating AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, MP for Noakhali-1, as its chairman.

The proposed 10-member committee included opposition lawmakers Mahbubul Alam and Nurun Nesa Siddiqua, as well as Gazi Nazrul Islam. The proposal was initially passed by voice vote.

Soon afterwards, Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman sought clarification on whether Gazi Nazrul had been included under the opposition’s quota.

The chief whip said Gazi Nazrul had not been nominated as an opposition member but as one of the 349 sitting MPs who each needed to be accommodated in at least one parliamentary committee.

He said there was no room for Gazi Nazrul in any other committee. Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal said the issue had arisen because Gazi Nazrul had previously been removed from other standing committees at the opposition’s request, only to be included in the new committee.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed intervened, saying there was no confusion because Gazi Nazrul’s parliamentary membership had not lapsed.

He said the lawmaker had to be placed on a committee and that his name had not appeared on the opposition’s list for ministry-related standing committees.

Salahuddin explained that under the Constitution, expulsion from a political party does not automatically vacate a lawmaker’s parliamentary seat unless the lawmaker resigns, in which case Article 70 would come into play.

He suggested that if the opposition wanted Gazi Nazrul’s seat to be vacated, it could raise the issue of his absence from the presidential election and formally approach the Speaker or the Election Commission.

In response, Dr Shafiqur remarked wryly that the home minister’s “tips” always made parliamentary proceedings lively.

He then argued that, as Gazi Nazrul had been expelled from Jamaat on moral grounds, it would be better not to place him on any committee, although the matter could be reconsidered during a future reconstitution.

Salahuddin subsequently observed that the opposition appeared to want Gazi Nazrul’s parliamentary membership retained while opposing his inclusion on the committee.

He said the lawmaker could therefore be dropped to honour the opposition leader’s request.

The committee was subsequently reconstituted with Gazi Nazrul Islam’s name removed.