Offensive expressions by a number of lawmakers of both ruling BNP and main opposition Awami League (AL), forced the speaker to remind the House repeatedly that all unparliamentary words will be expunged from the House proceedings.

According to the rules of JS procedure, "a member shall not make a personal charge against a member, minister or the holder of a public office except in so far as it may be strictly necessary in regard to the subject matter before the House." A member cannot also use any offensive, abusive vulgar expressions.

But a number of lawmakers used unparliamentary words during the debate on thanks-giving motion on the president's speech or taking floor on points of order. Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, however, made no effort to interrupt the lawmakers' indecent debate.

Presiding over the sitting yesterday, the speaker rather provoked AL lawmaker Shajahan Khan, who took the floor on the grounds of personal clarification, to specify the name of a lawmaker who had made indecent remarks in parliament on Wednesday.

On repeated urge of the speaker, Shajahan told the House that ruling BNP lawmaker Helen Zerin Khan made derogatory remarks against him and Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina. Shajahan himself also used a few offensive words attacking Helen personally.

The BNP deputy immediately demanded floor to counter the AL lawmaker.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan also requested the speaker to allow Helen Zerin to give her clarification. He further requested the speaker to expunge all unparliamentary and indecent words from the proceedings of the House.

Earlier, AL lawmaker KM Jahangir Hossain also drew the speaker's attention towards the indecent words used by Helen Zerin against the leader of the opposition.

During the morning session on Wednesday, Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas and State Minister for Power Iqbal Hasan Mahmud launched blistering attack on the AL and its lawmakers using unparliamentary words.

The speaker told the House that he would expunge all unparliamentary words from the proceedings of the House.

In the evening sitting, however, Deputy Speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui neither prevented BNP lawmaker Helen Zerin from using indecent words in her speech nor expunged those words from the House proceedings.

During yesterday's morning session of the House, AL lawmaker Mirza Azam initiated a heated attack on the prime minister, her son Tarique Rahman and Hawa Bhaban.

The BNP lawmakers protested the remarks by making noise in the House.

The speaker told the House that he will expunge all unparliamentary and defamatory words against the president and others.