Tensions flare in parliament over remarks on women MPs's attire

Parliament witnessed heated exchanges today (14 June) after a ruling party lawmaker made remarks about the attire of female opposition MPs from Jamaat-e-Islami, triggering strong protests from opposition MPs and prompting the deputy speaker to expunge part of his speech.

The controversy erupted during the general discussion on the supplementary budget for FY26-27 when ruling party MP Manirul  Haque Chowdhury (Cumilla-6) delivered a speech that included comments about opposition lawmakers.

Referring to Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, Manirul recounted a story involving Opposition Deputy Leader Abdullah Mohammad Taher dating back to 2001.

While narrating the story, he made remarks about Taher's wife that drew laughter in the House.

He then turned to the female opposition MPs, congratulating them on becoming lawmakers and praising their educational qualifications and speaking abilities.

However, he went on to make comments questioning their identity and appearance, apparently referring to their attire.

His remarks immediately triggered protests from opposition MPs, including female members who stood up and voiced objections. The uproar briefly disrupted parliamentary proceedings.

Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal intervened, saying that personal freedom should not be discussed in parliament.

As opposition members continued their protests, Manirul insisted that he had not intended to insult anyone and said he was merely recounting a past incident.

He later added that if anyone felt offended by his remarks, he apologised and had no intention of belittling anyone.

The deputy speaker subsequently announced that the portion of Manirul 's speech concerning personal freedom would be expunged from the parliamentary record.

Following the decision, opposition MPs applauded and thanked the Chair.

Issuing a ruling, the deputy speaker reminded lawmakers that all members were elected representatives of people and must uphold the dignity and decorum of the House.

The debate resurfaced after the Asr prayers break when Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam raised the issue on a point of order.

Thanking the deputy speaker for expunging the remarks, Nahid said the comments crossed the limits of parliamentary norms and constitutional rights.

He accused Manirul of mocking the wife of the opposition deputy leader and criticised his remarks about the attire of female opposition MPs.

"Every individual in a democratic state has religious freedom and freedom of dress. As a Member of parliament, he has violated those freedoms through such derogatory comments," Nahid said.

He further described the remarks as reflective of a discriminatory mindset and said they amounted to a form of racist behaviour.

Nahid urged all lawmakers to refrain from making similar comments in parliament in future.

In response, the deputy speaker reiterated his earlier ruling, saying the relevant portions of the speech were expunged for being inconsistent with parliamentary norms.

Later, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie sought to speak on the matter, but the Deputy Speaker did not allow further discussion.