Govt wants to keep opposition out of parliament: AL

"The government is not serious about the dialogue offered by the deputy speaker and that is why the treasury bench members are delivering speeches full of invective against Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina without any objection from the Chair," Opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shahid told The Daily Star yesterday.

In this respect, Shahid pointed to Tuesday's speeches made by Law Minister Moudud Ahmed and Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain in the House.

"We did not brush aside the dialogue offer and it is in the process," he said, adding that but the treasury bench members' attitude towards opposition makes it clear that the government wants to make parliament inactive.

Meanwhile, in a statement yesterday, the opposition chief whip strongly protested the remarks made by the law minister, shipping minister and two other MPs in the House on Tuesday.

He called on the Speaker to expunge the unparliamentary languages from the proceedings.

Expressing doubt about the 'neutrality' of the Speaker, Abdus Shahid said, "He (the Speaker) did not stop the treasury bench members when they were delivering speeches violating Articles 270 and 301 of the rules of procedures."