Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizens' Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam on Thursday raised a pointed question in Parliament over the security of leaders and activists of the July Uprising and the anti-fascist movement. He said concerns are growing over their safety and demanded the government clarify whether it can provide protection.
Raising a point of order at the outset of Thursday's parliamentary session, Nahid Islam drew attention to an alleged arson attack on the Kushtia residence of Nusrat Tabassum, a lawmaker from the reserved women's seats and a leader of the NCP. "Can this government provide any kind of security? If they cannot, they should let us know," he said.
Exchange with the Speaker
The point of order led to a heated exchange between Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Nahid Islam. Although the day's schedule began with the question-answer session, Nahid Islam stood on a point of order immediately after the recitation of the Holy Quran to raise the arson incident.Nahid Islam further stated, "If we do not have human rights and..." — the remainder of his statement has been recorded in the official proceedings, according to sources.
Speaker's Warning
Earlier on the same day, at an event organized by the Parliamentary Caucus for Marginalized Communities at the Bangladesh-China Friendship International Conference Center in Agargaon, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said politics has become all-pervasive. He noted that not only the Prime Minister, ministers, or the President, but even a grassroots political worker can benefit or harm many people. Therefore, if politics is right, the country will also be right.The Speaker also warned that if free and fair elections are not held, the country will face instability and "fire will burn." He emphasized that politicians must play the biggest role in establishing the rights of underprivileged people. The event was organized by the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh.
