Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam has alleged the current Bangladesh Bank governor was appointed to help reschedule massive loans for ruling party lawmakers.
Participating in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion for the president's speech, the National Citizen Party (NCP) convenor claimed that nearly 60 percent of the ruling party's election candidates are debt-ridden.
"The governor's expertise lies in loan rescheduling," he said.
"For the first time in Bangladesh's history, a businessman has been appointed to this post solely to grant favours to those burdened by thousands of crores in debt," Nahid told the House, presided over by Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal.
In a defiant stance, Nahid said he had neither "read nor listened" to President Mohammed Shahabuddin's speech, arguing that the president lacks the moral right to remain in Bangabhaban.
He demanded the president's arrest, accusing him of being a "collaborator of genocide" and an "accomplice of fascism".
Nahid alleged that during Shahabuddin's tenure at the Anti-Corruption Commission, he was tasked with punishing Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman while clearing Awami League of the Padma Bridge graft allegations.
Responding to criticism over taking an oath under the president, Nahid explained it was a strategic necessity for stability after the BNP rejected the proposal for a national government on Aug 5, 2024.
Nahid described the 1972 Constitution as "inherently undemocratic" and "Mujibist", arguing it concentrated executive, legislative, and judicial powers in one hand.
He called for a complete rewriting of the constitution rather than mere reforms.
"The seeds of autocracy were sown in the '72 Constitution. We want a new constitution that reflects the spirit of the July Uprising-equality, human dignity, and social justice," he said.
He further criticised the BNP for allegedly "polluting" the July Charter by adding "notes of dissent" that allow parties to prioritise their own manifestos over national consensus.
