Dhaka: Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today affirmed the government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, declaring that firm legal action will be pursued if any lawmaker becomes a target of terrorist activity.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the minister made these remarks while speaking in parliament in response to a notice from opposition MP Abdul Hannan Masud, who claimed there was an attempted terrorist attack against him. The session was overseen by Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal. “It is deeply unfortunate if such an incident has indeed occurred,” the home minister stated, assuring that appropriate steps will be taken following verification of the complaint.
Although the notice was not accepted under subsections 2 and 4 of section 165 of the rules of procedure, the House urged the home minister to investigate the matter seriously. The minister mentioned that he had already been informed of the complaint and advised the concerned lawmaker to file a general diary with the local police station. “Once that is done, we will take necessary action,” he assured. He further encouraged all lawmakers to report any security concerns directly to the Home Ministry and local law enforcement agencies.
During the discussion, the deputy speaker described the alleged attack as “regrettable and unacceptable,” emphasizing that such incidents against any elected representative are alarming. He noted, however, that the notice lacked specific details about the incident and the identities of those responsible. In his submission, Masud alleged that unidentified assailants attacked his vehicle on February 25 while he was visiting a family affected by pre- and post-election violence. He also claimed that certain groups later made defamatory and offensive remarks against him following his statements in parliament on March 29, which he argued violated his right to freedom of speech.
Separately, ruling party MP Abul Hasnat Abdullah congratulated the Speaker for resuming the question-answer session in parliament.