Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Mohammad Najibur Rahman criticized recent calls in parliament to ban political activities in mosques and to outlaw his party. Speaking on Wednesday during the general discussion on the proposed 2026–27 national budget, he described such demands as fascist and said similar calls had been made in the past by leaders of another party whom the public later rejected.

Rahman argued that mosques are central to the community and referenced a past incident where a political figure was jailed and his party banned for writing a poem about faith and struggle, yet later rose to power. He also criticized the current parliamentary culture, saying lawmakers have little role in budget formulation and act merely as rubber stamps. He urged reforms to ensure members of parliament are involved in drafting and reviewing the budget through standing committees.

Rahman emphasized that true parliamentary democracy requires changing the existing culture and increasing lawmakers’ participation in the budget process.