, June 23 -- Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Tuesday said no state business is more important than a sitting of Parliament, stressing that parliamentary proceedings take precedence over all other state activities.

The Speaker made the remarks in response to concerns raised by Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman under a point of order regarding the absence of ministers during parliamentary discussions.

"Nothing is more important than a parliamentary sitting among all state functions. Parliamentary proceedings receive the highest priority," he said.

He noted that MPs discuss the activities of various ministries during the budget session and said the relevant ministers should remain present to hear those observations and, where possible, ta...