The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Awami League (AL) Presidium Member Suranjit Sengupta yesterday demanded the immediate resignation of the Speaker of the parliament Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar.

Suranjit placed this demand while speaking at an iftar party to mark the 62th birth anniversary of AL chief Sheikh Hasina, at the NAM flat of former speaker and deputy opposition leader Abdul Hamid.

He said, "Sircar should resign immediately, as is making political comments, sitting in a constitutional post, which violated his oath as speaker."

"He should not speak in such a way when taking salary from the taxpayers," he added.

At a roundtable on Friday, at the National Press Club, Sircar had said there was no cause for nationalist forces to fear as AL could not win the next parliamentary polls "even if it forms an alliance with 14 parties, 16 parties or even 100 parties."

Sircar also commented that AL had smashed democracy in the past and in future the democracy of the country was not safe in AL's hands.

Abdul Hamid said "Sircar cannot make the comments as the speaker, as it is undemocratic and against parliamentary norms."

"Making those comments, Sircar has lost the moral authority as speaker, who must perform his duties without political bias," he said.

Talking to the reporters Haimd was highly critically of the activities of BNP and said, " BNP is an undemocratic party. It is unacceptable for the BNP to talk about democracy," said Hamid.

Both Suranjit and Hamid demanded unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina and and immediate withdrawal of all the cases filed against her as ell as other AL leaders.