'Freedom fighter's family member can't be part of Jamaat': Fazlur's remarks sparks uproar, Shafiqur demands expunction
“He [Fazlur] has personally attacked me. I am hurt,” Shafiqur says.
Parliament witnessed heated exchanges today (28 April) after ruling party MP Fazlur Rahman said "no member of a freedom fighter's family can be part of Jamaat," triggering strong protests from the opposition and a demand for expunction of his remarks.
The remarks came during the discussion on the motion of thanks to the president's speech, where the Member of Parliament for Kishoreganj-4 Fazlur also drew a comparison between the Liberation War and the July Uprising.
"If someone claims to be from a freedom fighter's family and at the same time is involved with Jamaat, that is a double offence. No member of a freedom fighter's family can be part of Jamaat," he told parliament.
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His remarks immediately sparked uproar in the House, with opposition MPs protesting loudly while the ruling party members thumped desks in support.
Responding to his remarks, Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman said he felt personally targeted and strongly objected to the statement.
"He [Fazlur] has personally attacked me. I am hurt," he said. "He claimed that I belong to a martyred freedom fighter's family, which is not correct. He also said no freedom fighter can be part of Jamaat. This statement undermines civil rights and individual freedom."
He added, "Should people decide their political affiliation based on his approval? I strongly protest this."
Shafiqur then demanded that the remark be expunged from the parliamentary record, calling it "unparliamentary."
Earlier in his speech, Fazlur Rahman, also a freedom fighter, had said the Liberation War could not be compared with any short-term movement.
"The Liberation War cannot be compared with any short-term movement," he said, adding, "Comparing it with 5 August is like comparing the Himalayas with a small hill."
Amid the growing tension, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad intervened multiple times to restore order.
"Honourable members, please maintain discipline. Everyone has the right to speak," the speaker said, adding that both the speech would be reviewed and any unparliamentary content would be expunged.
Despite repeated interventions, the session remained tense, with protests and counter-reactions disrupting proceedings several times.
