Independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana’s remarks on the BNP’s record in government triggered a noisy protest from ruling-party lawmakers in the Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday, disrupting proceedings during a debate on the Bank Resolution (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Speaking for her allotted two minutes, Rumeen said a return of the BNP to power would inevitably bring gas and electricity shortages, fertiliser crises, corruption, and high levels of loan defaults.
‘The BNP will come to power and there will be no gas and electricity crisis — that cannot happen,’ she said, adding that fertiliser shortages and problems involving loan defaulters had also been seen during previous BNP governments.
Her remarks prompted ruling-party lawmakers to start shouting, creating disorder in the parliament.
Deputy speaker Kayser Kamal repeatedly asked the ruling-party lawmakers to calm down and maintain order.
Rumeen then criticised an intolerant parliament, saying the situation reminded her of the Awami League government.
She said lawmakers had also created similar disruptions when the Awami League was criticised, but she described the current behaviour as worse.
She also criticised Section 18A of the Bank Resolution Act, 2026, saying the provision had been retained despite earlier assurances that it would be removed.
She alleged that many lawmakers were known to be loan defaulters and referred to the practice of seeking court orders to have their names removed from the defaulters’ list before elections.
After the debate, the Jatiya Sangsad passed the Bank Resolution (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by voice vote.
Finance minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury placed the bill, which repeals Section 18A of the Bank Resolution Act, 2026.
The repealed provision had allowed former shareholders of distressed or weak banks, including those allegedly responsible for pushing institutions towards insolvency, to seek restoration of ownership under certain conditions.
According to the government, Section 18A had been introduced as a market-based alternative to existing bank resolution tools to keep banks operational during restructuring, address capital and liquidity shortages, protect depositors and investors, and reduce the government’s financial exposure.
The government said no individual or institution had applied to regain ownership under the provision after fulfilling its conditions, and it therefore proposed its repeal.
The Bank Resolution Act, 2026 was passed on April 10 despite strong opposition from lawmakers, who had warned that the provision could allow individuals accused of looting banks to regain ownership of troubled institutions.
