Speaker irked by absence of ministers in JS to answer MPs' questions

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Tuesday said no state business is more important than a sitting of parliament, stressing that parliamentary proceedings take precedence over all other state activities, reports UNB.

The Speaker made the remarks in response to concerns raised by Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman under a point of order regarding the absence of ministers during parliamentary discussions.

"Nothing is more important than a parliamentary sitting among all state functions. Parliamentary proceedings receive the highest priority," he said.

He noted that MPs discuss the activities of various ministries during the budget session and said the relevant ministers should remain present to hear those observations and, where possible, take remedial action.

Addressing the Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, the Speaker said: "Please ask the honourable ministers to attend parliament on time. They should at least listen to the remarks made by MPs concerning their ministries and, if possible, try to address the issues raised."

Raising the issue, Dr Shafiqur Rahman said the Speaker had repeatedly called for a vibrant parliament since the beginning of the session. However, he noted that ministers or representatives of the ministries under discussion were often absent from the chamber.

"The people who most need to hear MPs' observations directly, particularly members of the Cabinet, are often not present. On many occasions, when we discuss a ministry, no representative of that ministry is in the chamber," he said, questioning whether such absences were consistent with the dignity of parliament.