Dhaka-14 lawmaker Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem on Wednesday alleged that government-backed women lawmakers assigned to areas represented by opposition MPs are being allowed to issue demi-official letters for development activities in those constituencies.

Quasem is a lawmaker backed by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

During the fourth sitting of the second session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS), he questioned whether such a move would effectively make opposition lawmakers redundant within their own constituencies.

In response, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stated that reserved-seat women lawmakers do not have specific parliamentary constituencies of their own, explaining that their areas of work are determined through internal party arrangements.

‘As members of parliament, just as you have the right to work for the development of your constituencies, women MPs also have the right to contribute to development activities in those areas. We are proceeding in accordance with due rules,’ Tarique said.

Addressing Quasem directly, the prime minister added, ‘If there is anything I can do for the development of your constituency, I will try to do it.’