Sparks Fly in Parliament: Opposition Leader Mocks Home Minister’s ‘Skills’ Amid Heated Debate

The seventh day of the 13th Parliament’s first session witnessed a sharp exchange of words between Opposition Leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.

Standing on a Point of Order, Dr. Rahman took a satirical swipe at the Home Minister, remarking that the Minister possesses an "extraordinary skill" to present truth as falsehood and vice-versa, likening it to "changing the bottle while keeping the contents the same."

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed hit back, labeling the use of the word "lie" (Mithya) by the opposition leader as "unparliamentary" and requested the Speaker to expunge it from the record. Clarifying his stance on a previous day's dispute, the Minister argued that Dr. Rahman’s claims regarding a private member's motion were factually incorrect, as the motion was accepted long after the opposition’s walkout.

Defending his position, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman maintained that he did not provide misinformation, explaining that the confusion arose because a similar proposal was previously brought by an independent member under a different title. The verbal duel, presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikrom, highlighted the simmering tension between the treasury and opposition benches.