SANGSAD BHABAN, June 18 (V7N) — Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, clarified today that members of parliament are not required to bow to the Chair when entering, leaving, or taking/vacating their seats, noting that the requirement was removed from the Rules of Procedure 20 years ago.
Giving a ruling from the Chair, the Speaker addressed points of order raised by Mohammad Mujibur Rahman (Rajshahi-1) on June 16 and Zainul Abdin Farroque (Noakhali-2) on June 17 about the practice of bowing to show respect to the presiding officer.
He said he had told the House earlier that the matter would be reviewed and a decision given after checking the rules and records.
Citing Rule 267(1), the Speaker said the current wording is: “During a sitting of Parliament, a member shall show respect to the Chair when entering or leaving the House and when taking or vacating his or her seat.” The word “bowing” was removed via an amendment adopted in 2006, he explained.
The Standing Committee on the Rules of Procedure of the Eighth Parliament submitted its report on September 20, 2006, and it was adopted by Parliament on September 26, 2006, including the change to Rule 267(1). “Therefore, the word ‘bowing’ no longer exists in Rule 267(1) of our Rules of Procedure,” the Speaker said.
The existing rule requires MPs to show respect but does not specify a form of salutation or gesture. “In accordance with their respective religious customs and practices, honourable members may show respect to the Speaker’s Chair or to the presiding officer,” he added.
The clarification settles recent procedural questions about how lawmakers should express respect to the Chair during sittings.
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