Jamaat MP Questions Constitution, Raises Political Allegations in Parliament

Opposition Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shafiqul Islam on Monday criticized the role of the constitution and made strong political remarks while speaking in the National Parliament during a discussion on the motion of thanks over the President’s address.

He said that if the constitution were properly followed, the Prime Minister would not be in Bangladesh but abroad, and the current Home Minister would also have been outside the country.

Shafiqul Islam questioned whether political discourse in the country was still affected by inequality seen over the past 17 years. He also raised concerns about the effectiveness of justice in certain past murder cases, stating that he had not seen meaningful progress.

Referring to debates over a referendum and the implementation of a July charter, he argued that the constitution had failed to protect citizens in critical moments. He said that if it had been effective, political leaders like them would not be in parliament today but possibly in prison under earlier constitutional frameworks.

He also spoke about recent political movements involving students, alleging inconsistencies in how the government responded to them. According to him, while some leaders expressed sympathy, others denied any connection to the movements.

Mentioning a political incident involving Bangladesh Nationalist Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, he claimed the constitution failed to protect him during a tense situation surrounded by heavy police presence.

Shafiqul Islam further alleged that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had previously targeted his party politically. He warned that if the public were deceived again over issues like a referendum or the July charter, the country could return to a period marked by repression, enforced disappearances, and violence.

He added that opposing a referendum would amount to disregarding the will of a large portion of the population and could trigger renewed public unrest.

During the same session, ruling party MP Azizul Bari Helal said that prices of essential commodities remained stable during Ramadan and Eid, claiming this was unprecedented in the past 55 years. He credited the government under Tarique Rahman for maintaining price stability despite global oil market pressures.

Another ruling party MP, Shahidul Islam, criticized the previous Awami League government, alleging that development claims during its tenure were misleading and that rural areas saw little real progress.

Meanwhile, NCP-elected MP Atiqur Rahman Mujahid said they would not accept duty-free cars as lawmakers but requested proper office facilities in their constituencies.