Hamza keeps hitting new lows with obscenity

amaat-e-Islami is facing growing embarrassment over a series of “offensive” remarks by Amir Hamza, one of its members of parliament, prompting the party to intervene in an effort to contain the fallout.

Party leaders say a senior central figure has been tasked with speaking to Hamza, the MP for Kushtia-2, and has already held a meeting with him.

Despite the move, the controversy has escalated beyond internal party discussions and reached parliament, where calls for action are intensifying.

Brahmanbaria-2 MP Rumeen Farhana has demanded intervention from the Speaker over derogatory remarks made by Hamza about her and two other female lawmakers.

She said she would pursue all available measures against Hamza.

“I will not give any concession. I will do whatever is necessary,” she said.

Hamza, widely known across the country as a religious speaker, has long been associated with controversial comments.

However, his recent election to parliament has brought renewed scrutiny, with his statements now carrying greater political weight.

His latest remarks, described as “body shaming”, have drawn sharp criticism from fellow lawmakers and triggered a broader backlash.

The issue has also sparked strong reactions on social media and among civil society groups.

Within Jamaat, leaders acknowledge the situation has become difficult.

Senior figures from the party, which sits in the opposition, say the issue has been discussed internally and efforts are under way to restrain the MP.

Jamaat central executive committee member and Kushtia regional director Mobarak Hossain said he had already met Hamza and instructed him to avoid making such comments in future.

“I have sat with him and advised him not to make such remarks again,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.

Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said the party does not endorse Hamza’s statements and that he has been warned.

“We hope he will refrain from such actions in future,” he said.

When asked whether disciplinary action could follow if the remarks continue, Zubair indicated that no one would be exempt from consequences.

“If anyone goes beyond party policy, there comes a point where no one is spared,” he said.

Uproar in parliament
The latest controversy stems from a religious gathering held on 20 March in Kushtia Sadar, where Hamza made comments targeting three female MPs, focusing on their clothing and personal lives.

During the speech, he also referred to State Minister Farzana Sharmin Putul as “Patal’s daughter”, invoking the nickname of her father, former BNP leader Fazlur Rahman Patal.

The issue was raised in parliament on Thursday by Rumeen Farhana, who called for action against Hamza.

She said such comments undermine the dignity of lawmakers and send a harmful message to society.

In response, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said parliament has “unlimited authority” and could take necessary steps if a formal notice is submitted.

Rumeen later told TIMES of Bangladesh she would act in line with the Speaker’s guidance.

Despite the backlash, Hamza has continued to make contentious remarks.

At another religious gathering in Ishwardi, Pabna, on 24 March, he described Power, Energy and Mineral

Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku as an “atheist” and “anti-Islam”.

The comments have led to legal proceedings.

A defamation case was filed on Thursday at the Senior Judicial Magistrate Court in Sirajganj.

The court has ordered Hamza to appear on 19 April.

The controversy deepened further on 26 March, when Hamza made remarks about the illness of BNP Standing

Committee member Mirza Abbas at a separate religious event in Mirpur, Dhaka.

Referring to Abbas’s political aspirations, he said “only God knows whether Abbas would fulfil his desire to address the Speaker.”

A history of controversy
In 2025, after a Chhatra Shibir-backed panel won the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) election,

Hamza claimed the Adhan had not been allowed at Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall for 16 years.

Speaking at a religious gathering, he alleged the Fajr Adhan had been restricted to avoid disturbing activists of the then ruling party’s student wing.

He later withdrew the statement after it triggered criticism.

In September the same year, Hamza faced further controversy over comments about Jahangirnagar University.

At a religious event, he claimed to have been admitted to the university’s Journalism and Media Studies department and alleged that students in residential halls used alcohol in the morning and even assaulted teachers.

The university strongly refuted the claims, stating in a formal protest that Hamza had never been enrolled there and that his statements were entirely false.

Earlier remarks made during the Awami League government have also resurfaced.

In one speech, Hamza said that anyone who failed to work towards fulfilling the vision of then prime minister

Sheikh Hasina would “go to hell”, regardless of political affiliation.

In another instance, he claimed that 14 generations of his family supported the Awami League.

His comments have not been limited to politics.

Remarks about Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna also drew widespread attention online.

At a religious gathering, he described her as the most beautiful person in the world and compared her appearance with that of the first woman in Islamic belief, prompting widespread ridicule and criticism.

He also faced backlash for comments about the physical appearance of Bangladeshi actress Pori Moni.

The accumulation of such incidents led Jamaat leaders to caution him ahead of the national election.

Even then, he drew criticism after making remarks about Arafat Rahman Koko, the late son of former BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, for which he later apologised.

Hamza’s past has also included legal troubles.

In May 2021, during the Awami League government, he was arrested from his home in Kushtia by the police’s

Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit on allegations of spreading extremism through sermons and involvement in anti-state activities.

He was released on bail on 7 December 2023.

Amid ongoing criticism, Hamza has previously said that he is not “physically or mentally fit” following alleged torture in custody, suggesting that this has contributed to his controversial statements.