Sangsad Bhaban, Mar 9 (UNB)-Opposition BNP lawmakers Tuesday walked out of the House in protest as the government placed in parliament a bill seeking to rename Shaheed Ziaur Rahman University as Barisal University by deleting their leader’s name.

BNP leader Barrister Maudud Ahmed, who led the walkout at 3:40pm, said erasing Zia’s name is a reflection of the present government’s “meanness’ and “political vendetta”.

“There are so many problems prevailing in the country, but the government has no concern over the deteriorating law-and-order situation, crisis of electricity and gas and soaring prices,” he observed.

The former Law Minister ridiculed the government’s slogan for a change while seeking electoral mandate as he said nowadays the charter of change turned into charter of changing the name of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.

“People had expected a change in their life, but now they became disillusioned,” he said.

Maudud, a seasoned politician having rich experience in power politics, said BNP would return to power through next election and restore the name of Ziaur Rahman.

“You can change of the name of Zia but you can’t erase his name from the minds of crores of people,” he told Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid who introduced the bill in the House.

Refuting Maudud’s contentions, the Education Minister said the previous Awami League government had decided to establish Science and Technology University, Barisal. He said the last BNP-Jamaat government only changed the name of the university without doing any work.

Nahid said the present government has just restored the original name of the university with the consent of the people of Barisal.

“The Vice-chancellor of the university has been appointed and the university will start functioning soon,” he told the House.

The bill was introduced by voice vote and sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the Education Ministry for further scrutiny.