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Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP on Monday elected from Narail-2 Ataur Rahman lashed out at the President’s recent address, suggesting the head of state has lost his independence to the ruling power.
Participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks on the President’s speech in Parliament, Ataur Rahman dismissed the praise offered by the treasury bench members, including those he referred to as his "friends", UNB reports.
He used a provocative metaphor to describe the President’s current standing, invoking the memory of late Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury.
The Jamaat MP stated that after listening to the speech, he felt that either the President’s spine had become much stronger or that someone had bent it, concluding that the latter seemed most accurate.
He expressed a total lack of "love from the heart" for the speech, accusing the President of providing a legal veneer to what he termed "fascism."
Ataur Rahman specifically highlighted the treatment of three-time former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, claiming the President legalised her "murder by keeping her in the dark of prison."
He added that he believed Begum Zia's soul would suffer immensely due to MPs thanking the President and urged them to take stock of their words.
The Jamaat lawmaker also referenced a previous interaction reported by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed regarding the implementation of the July National Charter.
He recounted a story where the President allegedly admitted to being forced into making specific orders, comparing the situation to a swan being forced to lay eggs.
Ataur Rahman argued that a swan that changes the colour of its eggs when the owner changes does deserve the gratitude of the house.
He observed that even their own colleagues often smile in scepticism when the treasury bench members’ praise becomes excessive.