Parliament today approved leave for ailing Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, now undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bangkok.

Chief Whip ASM Feroz on behalf of Syed Ashraful Islam, also a lawmaker placed an application before Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury seeking leave for the next 90 consecutive sittings of the House from September 18, 2018.

The Speaker moved it to the Parliament and read out the application before the House during today’s session. Later, the House granted the leave by voice vote.

According to the application, Syed Ashraful Islam, elected from Kishoreganj-1, is now undergoing treatment at the Critical Care Medicine Unit of Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok.

He also underwent a surgery yesterday and it will take many days for his completion of the treatment.

Speaker mentioned that there were instances of granting leave for some MPs in different parliaments in the past.

According to the constitution, a lawmaker's seat falls vacant if he or she remains absent from parliament, without prior permission from the Speaker, for 90 sittings at a stretch.