MPs trade barbs over inspection room nameplate in Nilphamari

A dispute over a nameplate at a newly opened inspection room in Saidpur Upazila Parishad of Nilphamari sparked a heated verbal exchange between two Bangladesh MPs on Tuesday (August 25), leaving guests and officials briefly stunned.

The argument erupted after reserved-seat MP Bilkis Islam objected to the nameplate displaying only the name of local elected MP Hafez Maulana Abdul Muntakim. She questioned why she had not been made chief guest and why only one MP's name appeared on the plaque.

She said that she would raise the matter in parliament and pursue it through legal and political channels.

The dispute continued for about an hour despite attempts by party workers and others to calm the situation, locals said.

Muntakim defended the nameplate, saying reserved-seat MPs are not assigned specific constituencies and therefore do not have separate inspection rooms named after them. He said the facility is open to all 350 MPs, but as the elected representative of the area, his name was included on the plaque in accordance with the rules.

He also criticised the gathering of supporters at a government event, calling the resulting confrontation unacceptable.

Saidpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Farha Fateha Takmila, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Sabbir Hossain, local BNP leaders, a Jamaat-e-Islami representative, officials and journalists were present during the incident.