United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Md Mujibur Rahman on Tuesday raised an objection in Parliament to the practice of MPs bowing their heads while entering the House chamber, saying it contradicts Islamic principles. Raising the issue on a point of order at the start of the day’s sitting, he said an earlier provision in the Rules of Procedure required lawmakers to bow as a mark of respect while entering the chamber, but the matter was later reviewed and amended. “In the 3rd Parliament, the Rules of Procedure stated that members should enter the chamber by bowing their heads in respect. Later, the matter was discussed and reviewed. I was also involved in the process at that time. Eventually, an amendment was made removing the provision because bowing in this manner is contradictory to Islam and may amount to sin Shirk,” Mujibur Rahman said. He said MPs commonly bow their heads or offer greetings while entering the chamber. Addressing Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, the lawmaker said, “I sometimes notice that you greet members nicely with salam, and we also exchange salam. But afterwards the old habit of bowing is still there. It happens with you and with the Deputy Speaker as well.” He added that since the Rules of Procedure was amended to remove what he described as a practice linked to Shirk, all members should follow it. “That will be virtuous for us, will save us from sin, and will benefit us on the Day of Judgement,” he said. In response, the Speaker said he will review the Rules of Procedure and examine whether such a provision was indeed abolished in previous parliaments. However, he noted that the matter could also be seen as a personal practice. “Some may offer salam, some may bow their heads. Similar practices exist in parliaments around the world,” he said, adding that he will look into the issue further.

The High Court on Monday granted eight weeks’ anticipatory bail to Jamaat-e-Islami MP Mufti Amir Hamza in a defamation case filed in Sirajganj. The HC bench of Justice Zahid Sarwar Kajal and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher passed the order after hearing a petition, his lawyer Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir told media. So, the arrest warrant issued against him will remain ineffective, he said. Earlier, Amir Hamza filed a bail petition with the High Court in the case. On April 2, Humayun Kabir, Additional Public Prosecutor of the Sirajganj District Sessions and Judge Court and General Secretary of the District Bar Association, filed the case against Hamza for allegedly making defamatory remarks about Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku. On the same day, Amir Hamza was summoned to appear before the court on April 21. The court issued an arrest warrant as he failed to appear on the scheduled date. On April 21, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court of Sirajganj issued another arrest warrant against him. Earlier on March 26, Amir Hamza reportedly referred to Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku as an atheist and Islamophobic during a discussion at the Hatsh Haripur Boro Jame Mosque in Kushtia Sadar upazila.

A Chattogram Court on Saturday placed Shahjahan Chowdhury, a former MP and central leader of Jammat-e-Islam, on a 3-day remand in the case over Hefazat’s violence in Hathazari upazila. Judicial Magistrate Shahriar Iqbal passed the order when police sought a 7-day remand to interrogate him, said district court inspector Humayun Kabir Earlier,police arrested Shahjahan Chowdhury from his residence at Samdar Para in Satkania municipality area. Also read: Ex-Jamaat MP Shahjahan Chowdhury held Mohammad Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Satkania Police Station, said a team of police arrested the ex-MP as he was wanted in many cases filed on sabotage charge. He was also the nayeb-e-amir of Chattogram city unit Jamaat-e-Islami and member of the Majlish-e-sura of central unit Jamaat-e-Islami. On April 30, 2019, detective police arrested Shahjahan Chowdhury from a madrasha and he served jail term.