Bangladesh MP draws flak from Parliament for proposing 'marriage ban' on working people

An independent Bangladeshi lawmaker Rezaul Karim Bablu presented a "weird" proposal at the Bangladesh Parliament on Saturday. Mr Karim sought the Bangladesh government to pass a bill that issued a ban on working people from marrying. The proposal drew sharp criticism and made many fellow parliamentarians burst out in laughter.

"Men holding jobs want to marry working women, likewise, women in service want to marry service holders . . . if the trend continues you can't resolve the unemployment problem in the country," Karim said.

As per reports, the independent lawmaker from Bogura 7 constituency raised his "bizarre" demand to meet the issue of unemployment in the country. He also argued that children of couples who work are often subjected to an abusive childhood. "They are often exposed to abuse by domestic workers," he said during the session.

He also urged the law minister to sanction the bill and enact it as a law in a bid to address the issue of 4 crores unemployed youth in the country. "This unemployment problem is not being solved as working men are marrying working women and vice versa," Bablu added.

Parliament bursts into laughter

"There is freedom of speech in the country so anyone can speak. You can say whatever you want. Even if a member of parliament enjoys that right, vs representatives of the people, cannot do or say whatever we want," Bangladeshi Law Minister Anisul Huq

The proposal was met with strong criticism as well as laughter. Bangladeshi Law Minister Anisul Huq outrightly rejected Karim Bablu's proposal, calling it "unconstitutional." "I cannot move two steps off the House if I accepted the proposal...this is unconstitutional!". Huq said. He also added that the idea was a manifestation of "freedom of speech," which allowed Bablu to present his thoughts. Huq also said that such a "weird proposal" would not be endorsed by any public representative. "It would endanger their career," he added.

Meanwhile, Karim Bablu was also reprimanded by the presiding Speaker of the House Shirin Sharmin Choudhary when he tried to reignite the topic. Choudhary asked him to specifically address the topic that was being discussed.

Lawmaker Bablu's proposal was told off by several fellow parliamentarians. While many burst into laughter, some criticised him for the questionable comments. However, this is not the first time MP Bablu made such "bizarre" remarks, the Daily Star reported.

In 2019, Karim Bablu received massive disapprobation for blaming "feminist campaigns" on rising incidents of rape in the country. He also became the cynosure of media when he posted a picture of himself with a pistol on Facebook. 

With inputs from ANI

Image: @BangladeshJatiyaSansad/Unsplash (representative)