Members of parliament will no longer be required to follow a uniform practice when showing respect to the Speaker’s chair, with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad on Thursday ruling that lawmakers may do so according to their own religious beliefs and traditions.
The decision settles a debate that has resurfaced in the 13th Parliament over whether members should bow while entering or leaving the chamber, a practice some lawmakers argued conflicts with their religious convictions.
Delivering the ruling at the beginning of Thursday’s sitting, the speaker said the Rules of Procedure no longer contain any requirement for bowing before the chair, as the relevant provision was removed nearly two decades ago.
“Honourable members will show respect to the Speaker’s chair or the chairperson according to their own religious traditions,” he told the House.
The issue has sparked unusual debate in recent days, touching on the intersection of parliamentary convention, religion and legislative procedure.
The controversy began on June 16 when Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Mujibur Rahman raised an objection to the long-standing practice of bowing in respect inside the parliamentary chamber.
Speaking on a point of order, he argued that although such a provision existed in the past, it had been removed through an amendment to the Rules of Procedure and therefore should no longer be treated as a parliamentary requirement.
The matter resurfaced on Wednesday when BNP lawmaker Zainul Abdin Farroque urged the Speaker to provide a formal clarification.
In his ruling, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad referred to Rule 267(1) of the Rules of Procedure, which states that members must show respect to the chairperson when entering or leaving parliament and when taking or leaving their seats.
However, he noted that the rule does not prescribe any specific form of respect.
According to the speaker, the word “bowing” was removed from the Rules of Procedure following recommendations by the parliamentary standing committee on the rules during the 8th Parliament.
The committee submitted its report on September 20, 2006, and the amendment was subsequently adopted by parliament on September 26 of that year.
He said that in practice lawmakers have traditionally shown respect in different ways.
Some bow their heads upon entering the chamber, while others remain standing and offer greetings.
“These are common practices through which respect is shown to the House and to the chairperson,” he said.
The ruling effectively leaves the matter to individual lawmakers, allowing them to follow personal beliefs while maintaining parliamentary decorum.