A remark of a BNP lawmaker triggered off the unscheduled debate, in which 17 lawmakers including senior ministers, the opposition leader and her senior colleagues argued and counter-argued.

At the end of the over one-and-a-half-hour contention at about 8:15pm, the House turned into a chaos, with members of both the benches raising a hue and cry for about five minutes.

Amid such a situation, Deputy Speaker Akhter Hamid Siddiqui, who was in the chair, began other businesses of the day.

The entire debate was held ignoring the Rules of Procedure of the Jatiya Sangsad and both the sides traded blistering attacks, even personal ones.

Later, the deputy speaker told the House that all unparliamentary statements would be expunged. Terming the debate a violation of the rules of procedure, he said, "From today the chair will follow the rules strictly."

The debate began after the Maghrib break, when AL lawmaker Sheikh Selim alleged the recent nominations for the Ekushey Padak were made on political considerations. The argument soon spread to other issues including the killing of Bangabandhu, its beneficiaries, indemnity to the killers and Ziaur Rahman's alleged involvement in it. One by one, the martial law proclamation in 1975, Baksal formation, proclamation of independence, the controversial election of February 15, 1996, hartal, price spiral of essential commodities, militancy and alleged corruption by the Hawa Bhaban men entered the agenda.

As the House resumed after the Maghrib prayers, Sheikh Selim raised the issue of politicisation of the nominations for the Ekushey awards and then his colleague Suranjit Sengupta criticised the government for the sharp price hike of sugar. They demanded statements from the government on the issues.

In response, Forest and Environment Minister Tariqul Islam, who heads the Ekushey Padak nomination committee, brushed aside Selim's allegation.

After him, BNP backbencher Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu took the floor on a point of order and added fuel to the debate by raising allegation of bank robbery against Sheikh Kamal and Sheikh Moni.

"The Hawa Bhaban men are not involved in bank robbery, as Sheikh Kamal and Sheikh Moni did," Pintu said in retaliation to an accusation frequently made by the main opposition against the Hawa Bhaban men.

Amid noisy protests rising from the opposition bench, Pintu also wondered how the AL general secretary has become the owner of a private bank and also pointed out that AL lawmaker Mirza Azam is a close relative of the most wanted militant kingpin Shaekh Abdur Rahman.

Former home minister Mohammad Nasim of the AL then took the floor and said, "Those whom Nasir Uddin Pintu has accused were brutally murdered in 1975 and their [BNP politicians] leader Zia was directly involved in the killing."

At Nasim's statement, the BNP lawmakers burst into protests, drowning the House under an utter cacophony.

At the fag end of the war of words, BNP Secretary General and LGRD and Co-operatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said it is known to all that it was Ziaur Rahman who proclaimed the country's independence. "Awami League will not loose anything if it accepts the truth," he said.

Countering the opposition's criticism of the then chief of army staff Ziaur Rahman for grabbing power, Mannan Bhuiyan said, "Ziaur Rahman had no intention to grab power He came to power through a revolution of the people and the soldiers."

Hitting back at another attack by the main opposition terming the February 1996 parliamentary elections controversial, the minister said the elections were aimed at amending the constitution for introducing the caretaker government system.

Taking part in the debate twice, opposition leader Sheikh Hasina said, "Ziaur Rahman had involvement in the Bangabandhu killing and was a beneficiary of it." Following the killing, Zia took power at gunpoint proclaiming martial law and awarded indemnity as well as jobs at foreign missions to the killers, she said.

The AL chief termed February 15, 1996 a "black day" marking the massive vote rigging in parliamentary elections.

Law Minister Moudud Ahmed countered Hasina, saying Ziaur Rahman did not proclaim martial law. "It was Awami League leader Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed who proclaimed the martial law and it was the Awami League that benefited from the killing," Moudud said amid protests by the AL lawmakers.

"Awami League destroyed democracy by introducing one-party Baksal system," he alleged.

Hasina again took the floor and opposed Moudud's statement, severely criticising him. She described Moudud as "the only law minister convicted in corruption case and pardoned by the president".

"Mushtaq proclaimed the Indemnity Ordinance and it was Ziaur Rahman who legalised it through the fifth amendment to the constitution," Hasina said, asking, "Why did Zia legalise Mushataq's ordinance if there were no relation between them?"

She also raised question about Zia's becoming the chief of army staff by ousting the then chief Shafiulla. "Wasn't Zia a beneficiary of the Bangabandhu killing?" she asked.

Earlier, AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil gave personal clarification about the ownership of a private commercial bank, saying he and his family have been involved in business for long.

Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, parliamentary affairs adviser to the PM, appreciated Jalil for not attacking anyone personally.

It was once assumed that the debate would not be run more, but the chair allowed ruling BNP lawmaker Sadeq Hossain Khoka on a point of order that sparked the fury again.

Khoka said, "[The Awami League] itself was involved in the Mujib killing as the government which was formed after the killing consisted of Awami League men." Amid huge protest by the AL lawmakers, Khoka demanded expulsion of Nasim's remarks about Ziaur Rahman.

AL lawmaker Mirza Azam raised the militant issue and quoted State Minister Alamgir Kabir as saying ministers Aminul Haq and Ruhul Quddus Dulu patronised militant kingpin Bangla Bhai.