Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday witnessed heated exchanges between treasury and opposition lawmakers over a statement by home minister Salahuddin Ahmed on the disappearance and subsequent arrest of an Islami Chhatra Shibir leader in a rape and foetus destruction case.

The disorder erupted during the sixth sitting of the second session of the 13th parliament when the home minister made a statement under Rule 300.

The situation was brought under control after deputy speaker Kaysar Kamal, chairing the session, ruled that the matter would be reviewed before any further action.

In his statement, the home minister referred to the case of Islami Chhatra Shibir central assistant secretary for international affairs Mohammad Jisan Mia Pradhan, who was reported missing from Cumilla on June 11.

Salahuddin said a general diary had been filed over Jisan’s disappearance, but police later found that he had developed a relationship with a woman he met through social media.

The minister alleged that Jisan repeatedly raped the woman on the promise of marriage, leaving her pregnant, and later forced her to take medication to terminate the pregnancy.

He said the couple’s wedding had been scheduled for June 12, but Jisan allegedly went into hiding on the night of June 11 to avoid the marriage. Police later recovered him from Cumilla’s Laksam area.

The minister told parliament that the woman subsequently filed a case against Jisan and three others on charges of rape and destruction of a foetus. He added that two of the accused had already made confessional statements before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Salahuddin also alleged that several verified Facebook accounts had portrayed Jisan’s disappearance differently and blamed the government. He said he raised the issue in parliament to present what he described as the actual facts.

The statement prompted strong objections from opposition deputy leader Syed Mohammad Abdullah Taher, who accused the home minister of using a parliamentary provision meant for official statements to make politically motivated remarks against a particular organisation.

Taher claimed bringing an unresolved and disputed matter before parliament in such a manner was unprecedented in the country’s parliamentary history.

His remarks triggered angry exchanges between treasury and opposition lawmakers, with members from both sides leaving their seats and shouting across the chamber.

As the situation worsened, the speaker repeatedly urged members to return to their seats. He later ruled that if any part of the home minister’s statement was found to be unparliamentary or inconsistent with parliamentary practice, it would be reviewed and a decision would be taken on whether the remarks should be expunged from the official record.

Order was restored following the speaker’s intervention.