Walkout a common practice, slogans outside tradition: Speaker

Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Speaker of the National Parliament, said a walkout is a common practice in parliament, and the opposition has the right to do so. However, he added, they could have refrained from it on the first day of the session.

Speaking to reporters at the National Memorial in Savar, Dhaka, on Friday (March 13) around 10:15 am regarding the opposition’s walkout during the President’s speech, the Speaker made the remarks. Earlier, Hafiz Uddin and Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal paid their respects at the National Memorial on assuming their new roles and signed the memorial book.

He further said, “The opportunities to strengthen democracy gained through the past parliamentary elections will be fully utilised.”

On the issue of slogans in parliament, he stated, “Shouting slogans in parliament is not appropriate. It is outside parliamentary tradition. Members should not act beyond the norms of the House.”

The Speaker, however, declined to comment on matters related to the President.