We didn't come to JS to be his students

Opposition Leader in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman slammed Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Thursday, saying, “We did not come here to be his students,” as the first day of the third session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad turned heated.

The confrontation erupted after opposition lawmakers Hasnat Abdullah and Shafiqul Islam Masud questioned the law and order situation and attacks on MPs.

In a supplementary question, Hasnat referred to the situation over the past six months, including the suspension of musical events and boat races in Brahmanbaria, and asked how successful the government had been in restoring normalcy and the rule of law.

Replying, the Home Minister said, “Speaker, I could not understand whether this was a question or a speech at Paltan.”
He also questioned the basis of the crime statistics cited, saying criminals were being arrested and brought under the law within 24 to 48 hours of offences. He challenged the opposition to cite specific cases of law enforcement failure, saying such matters could be raised under Rule 300.

His remarks triggered protests from opposition MPs and an uproar in the chamber.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed urged lawmakers to maintain decorum and counter opposing views with arguments. "If there is no tolerance for opposing views, democracy will fail," he said.

He also told the protesting lawmakers, "This is not the Awami League's time. You can criticise the government as much as you want."

The minister later completed his statement, saying lawmakers could respond through parliamentary means if they objected to his words. He urged the opposition to provide specific information on cases and arrests instead of making what he called "hawaai" allegations.

Taking the floor, Dr Shafiqur Rahman criticised the minister's remarks and demanded that they be expunged from the proceedings.

"We did not come here to be his students. If he wants to teach, let him go to a university," he said.
He accused the minister of making disparaging remarks on the first day of the session and demanded an apology to uphold Parliament's dignity.

The Speaker said the remarks would be reviewed and any unparliamentary language expunged.
"I am concerned about the future of this Parliament. The attempt we saw today to prevent one another from speaking is not a good sign," he said.

Referring to his four decades in Parliament, Hafiz Uddin said the country had witnessed many unfortunate incidents, including the killing of a Speaker, but described the current Parliament as better than previous ones.

He urged MPs to study the Rules of Procedure and respect parliamentary norms, warning that the House could not function for long if lawmakers continued to disregard established rules and conventions.

Five-member panel of chairmen
The Speaker nominated five lawmakers to preside over sittings in the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker: government MPs Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Sarwar Jamal Nizam, Muhammad Naushad Zamir and Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, and opposition MP Md Mujibur Rahman.

Speaker congratulates new President
At the outset, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed congratulated newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on behalf of Parliament and himself.

He hoped the new President would strengthen the dignity of constitutional institutions and institutional cooperation and advance the country's democratic journey.

He described the 2026 presidential election, held after a 35-year gap since 1991, as a significant development in Bangladesh's democratic trajectory and urged MPs to rise above partisan interests and put national interests first.