Dhaka, Jun 2 (UNB) - Minister without portfolio Suranjit Sengupta on Saturday asked opposition leader Khaleda Zia and BNP leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed to resign from their parliamentary posts in the greater interest of democracy.

“They (Khaleda, Moudud) should quit parliament because they’ve already failed to play their due role in protecting the country’s democracy…they recently joined parliament after a long boycott to protect their membership, not democracy,” he told a function organised by Bangamata Parishad at Public Library auditorium in the city.

Speaking as the chief guest, Suranjit said, “There’s no denying that the government has to be accountable to people for its every work, but the opposition parties also need to be accountable to people for their works to strengthen democracy.”

About his resignation, the minister said, “I quit the Railways Ministry to sustain democracy… the Home Minister said ‘sorry’ for assaulting journalists by police for the sake of democracy.”

On Tuesday, police assaulted three journalists and two lawyers at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Judge Court premises for trying to gather news on alleged sexual assault on a girl inside Police Club.

Home Minister Shahara Khatun at a function on Friday expressed 'regrets' for the recent incidents of assault and torture on journalists.

Describing the duties of lawmakers to the common people, Suranjit urged the opposition parties to join parliament to make it truly functional and raising issues of public interest in the House.

Hazi Selim, MP, vice chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr AASM Arefin Siddique and Bangamata Parishad president Sheikh Mohammad Jahangir, among others, spoke at the function.