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AL walks out of JS over OIC candidate

Nomination of controversial man dashed Dhaka's hope: AL; AL's counter-campaign is the culprit: BNP

Staff Correspondent
Awami League walked out of parliament yesterday when a minister instead of the leader of the House tried to fend off leader of the opposition's vitriolic attack on the government for Bangladesh's defeat in a key OIC election.
Lawmakers of the main opposition, led by its President Sheikh Hasina, pilloried the ruling coalition for the defeat 'stemming from the nomination of a controversial man' for the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) amid debate-long heckles.
Bangladesh missed the opportunity to become the OIC secretary general as the BNP government nominated an anti-liberation man mired in controversy, Hasina said, referring to Bangladesh candidate Salauddin Quader Chowdhry.
The BNP government garlanded him, but the Muslim world could not accept such a figure, she remarked.
In counter-arguments, legislators from the key ruling party BNP said the AL's campaign against the prime minister's parliamentary adviser brought the defeat for the nation.
In the climax of the debate, ruling coalition lawmakers demanded expunction of 'indecent words' used against Salauddin while the opposition dug their heels for a statement from Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, explaining the debacle.
When Health Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain took the floor to defend the government, the opposition lawmakers shouted catcalls. As an undaunted Mosharraf continued his speech, AL lawmakers staged the stormy walkout for two minutes.
Speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar expunged all 'indecent words' used in the half an hour debate.
The high-tempered debate opened when AL lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta attacked the four-party coalition for the defeat, standing on a point of order.
The veteran parliamentarian demanded a general discussion on Bangladesh's foreign policy.
Mosharraf in his speech saw AL's hand in Salauddin's defeat.
"The Awami League sent an envoy to launch a countercampaign against the Bangladesh candidate. It is very disgraceful for the nation."
Referring to the leader of the opposition's speech, he protested her 'indecent remarks' against a lawmaker in the House and demanded expunction of all unparliamentary words used in the unscheduled debate.
BNP front-bencher KM Obaidur Rahman said Bangladesh's challenge opened a new chapter of democratic practice in the grouping.
"It's a matter of pride that we got 12 votes. Under the previous Awami League government, Bangladesh did not get a single vote, though they campaigned for it."
Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman in his supplementary budget speech also touched on the issue.
"How will the Bangladesh candidate win the secretary general's post of the OIC against a counter-campaign at home?" he asked.
Hasina in her speech brushed aside Obaidur's remarks, saying Dhaka did not field a candidate in an understanding with Morocco.
Rabat promised to back Bangladesh in the next election, she said, adding: "Dhaka had every possibility to win the post as my government got assurances of support from most member countries."
"Had the BNP-Jamat coalition picked a right person for the post,
Bangladesh would have won the contest. Was there not a single candidate in Bangladesh to run for the office?"
Hasina and other senior lawmakers of her party said by nominating Salauddin, Dhaka lost its image on the world stage as his name wedged a rift in Muslim fraternity.
The leader of the opposition congratulated Turkey's candidate Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu on his election to the high office and hoped that he would reshape the OIC to face the present world challenges.