Chief Whip Md. Nurul Islam on Thursday called for national unity among all political parties to build a ‘fascism-free, sovereign, and humane Bangladesh,’ regardless of differing political ideologies.
“Differences of opinion are natural in parliament, but we must reach a consensus for the sake of people and democracy. Collective efforts are required for the rule of law and logical solutions to national problems,” he said.
The Chief Whip was delivering his thanksgiving speech on the President’s address on the closing day of the first session of the 13th Parliament.
Stressing that the primary goal is to make the parliament ‘effective’ rather than just ‘vibrant’, Nurul Islam said politics must serve common people including farmers, labourers and rickshaw pullers.
“We want to advance the vessel of democracy under the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister,” he added, referring to the current leadership's vision for a self-reliant nation.
“Many members here have survived cases, jail time, and brutal torture. Therefore, we should not engage in internal battles or verbal warfare against one another,” he said.
Islam cautioned that democracy should not be treated like a game of badminton or tennis where one side simply wins.
“We must decide where we want to take this democracy. If we fail to make the right decisions, someone else will come and occupy these chairs, putting us all in danger. We must decide if we will let the sun rise or sink back into darkness,” he warned.
Drawing on the words of Martin Luther King Jr., he cautioned: “If we do not unite like brothers, we will have to perish like fools.”
Highlighting the benefits of unity, the Chief Whip mentioned that the parliament has already taken significant steps in the national interest, such as the collective decision to forgo personal plots.
He also noted that the government has accepted opposition proposals regarding oil and gas issues to reach a national consensus. “Whenever we unite for a good cause, the suffering of people outside these walls diminishes,” he added.