Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has clarified that Members of Parliament are not required to bow to the Chair when entering or leaving the House or when taking and vacating their seats, stating that the relevant wording was removed from parliamentary rules two decades ago.
Delivering a ruling from the Chair on Thursday, he said the issue had been raised through points of order by Mohammad Mujibur Rahman, Member of Parliament for Rajshahi-1, on 16 June, and Joynal Abdin Faruk, Member of Parliament for Noakhali-2, on 17 June. Both had questioned the practice of showing respect to the presiding officer by bowing.
The Speaker said he had earlier informed the House that the matter would be reviewed and a formal decision would be provided after examining the Rules of Procedure and related records.
Referring to Rule 267(1) of the Rules of Procedure, he noted that the current provision states that during a sitting of Parliament, a member shall show respect to the Chair when entering or leaving the House and when taking or vacating their seat.
He said the specific reference to “bowing” had been removed through an amendment adopted in 2006. According to him, the Standing Committee on the Rules of Procedure of the Eighth Parliament submitted its report on 20 September 2006, which was considered and adopted by Parliament on 26 September 2006. That report included the amendment to Rule 267(1).
“Therefore, the word ‘bowing’ no longer exists in Rule 267(1) of our Rules of Procedure,” he said.
The Speaker added that the current rule only requires members to show respect to the Chair and does not prescribe any specific form of salutation or gesture. He also said members may show respect in accordance with their respective religious customs and practices when addressing or acknowledging the Speaker’s Chair or the presiding officer.
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