Opposition Walks Out of Parliament Over Constitutional Reform Proposal

The opposition staged a walkout from the National Parliament on Wednesday in protest over what they described as the lack of remedy regarding the convening of the Constitutional Reform Council and the introduction of another proposal that they believed would override their original proposal. Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman led the walkout, accompanied by opposition members.

The dispute originated during a debate on Tuesday over a suspended proposal concerning the convening of the Constitutional Reform Council. The ruling party suggested forming an all-party special parliamentary committee on constitutional amendments. The opposition, however, did not agree and said they would consider any committee centered on the Reform Council before taking a position.

During Wednesday’s question-and-answer session, Shafiqur Rahman addressed the Speaker, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, noting that since the issue concerned public demand and a potential referendum reflecting the will of around 70% of the population, they had expected a remedy through the Speaker’s intervention. He said no clear decision had been provided and requested clarification on three points.

In response, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed explained that the proposal was a suspended motion, and in his absence, it had been handled under the Deputy Speaker’s leadership for discussion. He added that only legislative solutions could fully address the underlying problem and that further opposition input would be allowed in subsequent discussions.

Shafiqur Rahman argued that their demand for remedy was not partisan but reflected the public’s interest. He said both the ruling and opposition parties had agreed on the matter during the election campaign, and the public’s mandate had not been respected. He added that for these reasons, the opposition would walk out in protest.

The Speaker reminded him that walkouts were a parliamentary right and noted that another suspended proposal would be considered later, which could allow the opposition to raise their questions and discuss the issue further.

Shafiqur Rahman responded that the notice of the other proposal appeared intended to override the opposition’s original motion. Citing precedent during the Speaker’s absence, he confirmed that the opposition would walk out for both reasons.

Following this exchange, opposition members exited the parliament chamber.