No state business more important than a parliamentary session: Speaker

Urging ministers to attend parliamentary sessions, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said that no state business is more important than a parliamentary session. He emphasised that parliamentary proceedings hold the highest priority among all state affairs.

The Speaker made these remarks on Tuesday in response to concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman under a Point of Order regarding the absence of many ministers from the parliamentary session.

Speaking on the Point of Order, Shafiqur Rahman said that the Speaker had consistently called for making the parliament more vibrant and effective. However, he noted that it is often observed that when a particular ministry is being discussed, no representative from that ministry is present in the chamber. He said it was up to the Speaker to determine whether such a situation was consistent with the spirit and dignity of parliament. He said that the absence of senior leaders was discouraging and disappointing to members of the House.

The Leader of the Opposition went on to say that it was sometimes observed that groups of four or five members engage in conversations among themselves inside the parliamentary chamber.

He noted that the opposition had also raised concerns about ministers'' absence from parliament on Monday. Referring to that issue, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said that the Chief Whip had explained that ministers are often occupied with various official responsibilities.

Addressing the Chief Whip, the Speaker added, "Please ask the honourable ministers to attend parliament on time. They should at least listen to the statements made by members of parliament concerning their respective ministries and, where possible, try to address the issues raised."

In response to the Opposition Leader's remarks, the Speaker said that he too occasionally notices small groups engaged in discussions inside the chamber. He requested members of parliament to refrain from such conversations and, as far as possible, remain in their assigned seats and participate in parliamentary proceedings.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Tarek Rahman, who is also the Leader of the House, is currently on a state visit to China. Several ministers and state ministers, including Khalilur Rahman, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, and Zahir Uddin Swapan, are accompanying the Prime Minister on the trip.

When the Opposition Leader raised the issue of ministers'' absence at the beginning of the session, around 10 to 11 ministers and state ministers, including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Md. Asaduzzaman, were present in the parliamentary chamber.

During today's session, under a Point of Order, Shafiqul Islam of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami called for parliament to be informed about the latest health condition of Mirza Abbas, a member of Parliament from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He also requested information regarding an ongoing court case concerning the election results of two BNP candidates accused of loan default.

The Jamaat MP stated that various rumors surrounding Mirza Abbas and Sharif Osman Bin Hadi had gained further momentum following recent comments by Mamata Banerjee. He called for a statement from the Home Minister to prevent further speculation.

Later, Chief Whip Nurul Islam said that the Speaker could inform parliament regarding Mirza Abbas's condition. He noted that the matter concerning the two MPs was currently before the courts. He also urged the Speaker to ensure that parliamentary time was not wasted under the guise of Points of Order on issues that were unnecessary or unrelated.

In response, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said that Mirza Abbas had written a letter informing parliament that his condition was steadily improving. As for the remaining rumours and speculation about various individuals, the Speaker said that parliament''s time should not be wasted discussing such matters.

He urged members to confine their Points of Order to ongoing and relevant issues, adding: "Please do not raise matters that unnecessarily consume the parliament's time. Rumours are never a subject for consideration by the Jatiya Sangsad."