Newly elected Speaker of the 13th parliament, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, has said that the opposition has the right to stage a walkout in parliament, though it would have been better if it had not done so on the first day of the session.
“Walkout is the opposition’s right. It is a common parliamentary practice. They did it from their perspective. It would have been better if they had not—especially not on the first day. However, that is their matter,” he said.
The speaker made the comments while speaking to journalists on Friday, after paying tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Martyrs' Memorial.
In his remarks after laying the wreath, the speaker said he and the deputy speaker felt fortunate to be able to visit the memorial and paid tribute to those who embraced martyrdom on the battlefield during the 1971 Liberation War.
He also prayed for the departed souls of the proclaimer of independence, martyred president Ziaur Rahman, and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
The speaker said the fundamental goals of independence were to establish equality, human dignity and social justice. He expressed hope that every member of the 13th parliament would work wholeheartedly to achieve those goals.
“Today, we stand before you at a historic moment. After 17 years of sacrifice, endurance and struggle, we have been able to bid farewell to fascist rule,” he said.
Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said the people of the country—especially political activists, students, their guardians and people from different professions—deserve deep respect for their role in that struggle. He also paid tribute to those who made sacrifices and endured hardships during the movements in July and August and played an important role in the fall of the “mafia government.”
He said the opportunity created through the recent parliamentary elections to strengthen democracy would be fully utilised, adding that everyone must work tirelessly to achieve the nation’s economic emancipation and the ideals of the Liberation War. He also sought the cooperation of the public in this effort.
Assuring adequate opportunities for the opposition in parliament, the speaker said he had resigned from the 34-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party to ensure neutrality and build confidence among opposition members.
He said the rights of the opposition would be respected and declined to make further comments on the issue. He also said every political party should remain free to carry out its own programmes and that tolerance in this regard is necessary.
When asked about the opposition’s demand for the resignation of the president, the speaker said he had noticed some slogans during the parliamentary session, but added that opposing the government is part of the opposition’s role.
“The opposition will oppose constructively and will not engage in any activity that harms the state or undermines national unity,” he said.