Freedom of speech should not cross limits of civility: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday called upon all to unite against the culture of abusive language, stressing the need for responsible behaviour in public discourse.

He made the call while delivering his concluding speech at the third session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.

“The fascist regime had taken away all democratic rights of the people, including freedom of speech. At present, there is a democratic environment in the country and freedom of speech is unrestricted. But we must remember that freedom of speech should not cross the limits of civility,” Tarique Rahman said.

He said no one wants the people of the country to be subjected to a fascist, authoritarian regime again.

“Likewise, no conscious person or patriotic politician will want our political culture to turn into a culture of abusive language. That is why all of us, irrespective of party affiliation, must play a responsible role,” the Prime Minister said.

He questioned why words that people will not feel comfortable using in a family environment should be used in the public domain. “Why should we use such words in public life? Why cannot we refrain from using such words in the public sphere? Through you, Mr Speaker, I want to leave this question before all members of this House and all conscious citizens of the country,” he said.

“If we are genuinely united on this issue, let us all play a united role against the culture of abusive language,” Tarique Rahman said.

Members of Parliament repeatedly thumped their desks in support of the Prime Minister’s remarks.

The final sitting of the third session began at 3:00pm with Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal in the chair. After Maghrib prayers, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad read out the President’s order proroguing the session.

As per parliamentary tradition, Leader of the Opposition Shafiqul Rahman spoke first, followed by Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who began his speech at 7:44pm and concluded it at 8:17pm.

The third session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad began on August 27.

PM assures people of gradually resolving gas, power crisis

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also assured the people that the government will gradually resolve the ongoing gas and electricity crisis, urging the opposition to present the actual situation to the people instead of resorting to provocative behaviour.

“We are firmly hopeful that, Insha-Allah, we will be able to resolve the problems of gas and electricity over time and take the country and its people out of this crisis,” he said.

He said the government is now working on longer-term solutions. “The measures and initiatives the government is going to take, I firmly believe, will enable us, if we can successfully implement the solar power generation plan, to become not only consumers but also producers of solar power. We have that capability.”

Tarique Rahman said the government is aware of the sufferings caused by shortages of gas and electricity across the country and is already taking a number of measures to address the situation.

He said the current crisis has not emerged suddenly but was the result of a number of factors, including Bangladesh’s prolonged dependence on imported fuel.

“Over the past more than a decade, not the slightest effort was made to extract gas from domestic sources,” the Prime Minister said.

He also pointed out that neighbouring countries on both sides of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal have been extracting gas from offshore fields, while Bangladesh has not made similar efforts for more than a decade.

Tarique Rahman said the country has instead become heavily dependent on imported energy, with the Middle East serving as a major source of gas imports.

The situation became more difficult after a war broke out in the Middle East about 10 to 12 days after the formation of the present government, he said.

The Prime Minister said the war disrupted imports of oil and gas from the Middle East, while one of Bangladesh’s two floating LNG terminals, or FSRUs, also became inoperative following an accident caused by an electrical shock. “This added another problem to the crisis,” he said.

He said the government has inherited these problems and is trying to address them rather than using the situation as an excuse to avoid responsibility.

Referring to measures taken by the previous government during the Russia-Ukraine war, Tarique Rahman said office hours were changed, and schools and banks adjusted their schedules at the time in an effort to manage the power crisis.

He also criticised the previous government’s reliance on quick rental power plants, saying the arrangement has left the country heavily indebted without providing a lasting solution to the power and energy crisis.

The Prime Minister said the government is now working on longer-term solutions.

“We are trying to solve these problems,” he said, adding that both the government and opposition have a responsibility to present the actual situation before the people.

Tarique Rahman also said Bangladesh has the potential to move from being a consumer of imported energy to becoming a producer of solar power.

“For so long, we have been consumers of electricity generated from imported sources. If we can properly implement the solar power generation plan that the present government is going to undertake, I firmly believe that we will become not only consumers but also producers of solar electricity,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government is confident of overcoming the crisis based on its experience and its commitment to the country and its people.

He called for cooperation from opposition lawmakers in addressing the national crisis.

Tarique Rahman also urged all lawmakers, irrespective of whether they belong to the government or opposition benches, to present the actual situation to the people and work in the national interest.

He said the government expects cooperation from the opposition to resolve the crisis, but instead, a long march with a huge number of vehicles was organised. “If gas or electricity problems could be solved through a long march, we would have been the first to organise such a long march,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the opposition naturally has a role in a democratic system to keep the government balanced and accountable, but provocative actions should not be taken without properly addressing the current crisis.

He warned that such actions could ultimately benefit the “fallen, defeated and ousted fascist forces.”

Tarique Rahman questioned whether the people who sacrificed their lives over the past 17 years, including around 1,400 people who died during the 2024 movement, and nearly 30,000 people who suffered disabilities or lost their eyesight, will not be hurt if the current situation is misrepresented. “Then what will be the value of so many sacrifices?” he said.