Opposition lawmakers in Bangladesh’s National Parliament strongly protested during a speech by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam on Monday, after she claimed that there was no ongoing energy crisis in the country. The protest erupted while she was responding to a supplementary question from Jamaat-e-Islami MP Barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Kashem, who had raised concerns about energy shortages and the deaths of several people allegedly linked to disputes over fuel sales.

Speaker intervention was required to restore order, allowing the minister to complete her remarks. Shama Obaid stated that the government was working to ensure energy supply from multiple sources under the prime minister’s guidance and that Bangladesh was actively engaging with various ministries to secure stable energy imports beyond the Middle East.

She added that the government’s top priority amid the Middle East conflict was the safety of Bangladeshi citizens living there. According to her, five Bangladeshis had died in the region, and two bodies had been repatriated. She also noted that 186 citizens were brought back safely from Tehran with IOM assistance.