Two lawmakers from the ruling alliance confronted each other in parliament yesterday, triggering an unscheduled debate over Bangladesh’s Islamic banking system.

Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) lawmaker Andaleeve Rahman argued that the country must actively promote the Islamic banking sector, noting its emergence as a global trend.

Taking part in the discussion on the proposed budget for 2026-27 fiscal year, Andaleeve said, “Society has become so deeply entrenched in the conventional, Shylock-style banking system that it cannot be changed overnight.”

Yet, the reality is that Islamic banking has become a “global trend”, he argued.

He pointed to several institutions in England, and Malaysia that are promoting Islamic banking system.

“We must promote Islamic banking,” he proposed.

In response, BNP lawmaker Goyeshwar Chandra Roy alleged that non-Muslims are excluded from employment in Islamic banks, questioning whether such practices align with the party’s ideals. “Was the country liberated only for Muslims?” he asked.

Goyeshwar recounted a personal incident where he had requested a job placement from a director of Islami Bank, who is now active in Jamaat politics. “The director told me, ‘Send the name.’ After I sent it, he replied, ‘Sorry, he is Hindu. I cannot give him the job…’,” he added.

Roy questioned whether a bank should operate this way. “Just because a bank carries the name ‘Islamic’, can it exclude non-Muslims from employment? Is that lawful? One may say a Hindu cannot enter a mosque or madrasa, but a bank is neither a mosque nor a madrasa.”

He argued that the ideals of an independent Bangladesh and the BNP’s vision are rooted in religious values, but not confined to any single faith. “All religions must be respected,” he stressed.

He also demanded an explanation from Andaleeve.

In response, Andaleeve said, “I am not aware of any restriction barring non-Muslims from working in Islamic banks. My understanding is that anyone can be employed there.”

At this point, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad intervened, noting that many remarks in the House were based on assumptions. He said if any director of Islami Bank were present, they could clarify the matter, adding that the issue was “sensitive and communal in nature”.

Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shahjahan Chowdhury then took the floor, asserting that people of all faiths can work at Islami Bank, adding that in his own constituency, many members of the Hindu community are employed there.