Sangsad Bhaban, June 18 -- A spirited exchange unfolded in Parliament on Thursday after Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman and lawmaker Andaleeve Rahman criticised a Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP for demanding washing machines, microwave ovens and curtains for lawmakers residing in government flats, prompting intervention from Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman.

Standing on the point of order, before the ongoing budget discussion, Andaleeve Rahman said Parliament was restored after a difficult struggle and stressed the need to uphold its dignity and standards.

He lamented what he described as the decline in parliamentary standards during previous Awami League legislatures, saying the institutio...