Opposition walks out of Parliament over constitutional amendment committee

The opposition walked out of Parliament on Monday night, protesting the formation of a special committee on constitutional amendments, alleging that it bypassed the referendum verdict.

Chief Whip Md Noorul Islam Moni proposed forming a 17-member committee with representatives from ruling parties, alliances and independent MPs, including five from the opposition. As the opposition did not submit names, a 12-member committee was proposed for the time being.

Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman rejected the initiative, saying the opposition never agreed to join the committee. He said they could not accept any constitutional amendment bypassing the referendum result, in which the people had expressed their opinion. He said ignoring the verdict would undermine democratic trust.

He said the opposition was walking out in protest and would not join the committee. The opposition MPs left the House at 9:25 pm.