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We freed this parliament with students and the public: Nahid

NCP chief Nahid Islam has described the first day of the 13th parliament session as "historic".

The chief whip of the opposition said: "My fellow fighters and I liberated this parliament, accompanied by the students and the public of this country."

He also paid tribute to the martyrs of the July Uprising and prayed for them.

Nahid said there was a long history behind the movement in 2024. 

He commemorated the victims of the Pilkhana massacre, the road safety and the anti-Modi movements, and paid homage to Inqilab Moncho’s slain spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, BUET student Abrar Fahad and BSF shooting victim Felani Khatun.

Khaleda would’ve been happiest in parliament: Salahuddin

Addressing the first session of the 13th parliament, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said former prime minister Khaleda Zia would have been the happiest person if she could be in parliament.

Salahuddin, the Cox’s Bazar-1 MP, said that she had won all the parliamentary seats she had ever contested.

He made the remarks regarding the former premier in parliament during the discussion on the condolence motion.

Regarding the late party chief, he said: "The mother of democracy is not among us today. However, she is among the people. She will live on as an inspiration for democracy."

Salahuddin also paid tribute to the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War and the July Uprising.

13th parliament sends condolences for 7 war crimes convicts

Six Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and a BNP leader who were convicted of war crimes in 1971 have been added to the condolence list passed by the 13th parliament.

On the first day of the session on Thursday, after the election of the speaker and deputy speaker, the condolence motion was presented as per the custom after a short break.

At that time, a proposal was made to include the names of former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami, former secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, party leaders Abdul Quader Mollah, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Shura member Mir Quasem Ali, and deputy chief Delwar Hossain Sayedi in the condolence motion.

Later, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad announced their inclusion. He also added the name of former BNP MP and National Standing Committee member Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury. After discussions in parliament, the condolence motion passed.

Nizami and Mujahid were ministers in the BNP-Jamaat coalition government during the 2001-2006 term. Sayeedi was a member of parliament.

All seven were convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal under the Awami League government for crimes against humanity committed in 1971.

Of them, Sayeedi, who was sentenced to life in prison, died in jail. The remaining six were hanged between 2012 and 2016.

The tribunal's verdict found them guilty of crimes against humanity such as genocide, murder, rape and torture during the 1971 Liberation War.

Opposition walks out during president's speech

Opposition parties have protested the traditional speech by President Md Shahabuddin during the first session of the 13th parliament by staging a walkout. 

When the entry of the president into the chamber was announced on Thursday, opposition MPs stood up from their seats in protest.

At the time, they displayed red cards bearing the words “No betrayal of July”.

In accordance with parliamentary convention, the leader of the house and members of the ruling party stood up to greet the president when he entered the chamber. However, some opposition MPs remained seated as part of their protest.

The speaker intervened and repeatedly called on them to remain calm.

Even when the president started to deliver his speech, Jamaat-e-Islami lawmakers continued their disruption. At one point, they walked out.

This parliament is for Bangladesh’s people: PM

Following the speaker’s speech, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman gave his welcome address, referring to the new parliament as one “for the people”.

“Today’s parliament is the parliament of Bangladesh’s people,” Tarique said. “The people of the country are looking to this parliament with expectations. In the interests of the people, I want to make this parliament a meaningful one.”

Remarking that Bangladesh has resumed its long-awaited journey for parliamentary democracy once again, the prime minister sought the cooperation of all to build a prosperous, safe, and democratic country.

Addressing the speaker, Tarique said: “The government wants to make this parliament a vibrant one. In this regard, the role of the speaker is an important one.”

He congratulated the speaker and deputy speaker, and assured them of his cooperation.

Let our motto be Bangladesh first: speaker

In his first speech as speaker, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has urged parliamentarians to put the country first.

“Bangladesh first; let this be our motto,” he said.

The speaker said that the people are the vigilant guardians of Bangladesh’s democracy and that this parliament is a symbol of that democracy.

Hafiz, a freedom fighter in 1971, recalled the Liberation War.

He paid tribute to the freedom fighters who fought for Bangladesh’s independence and also spoke of the mass movements that had risen up against autocracy in the course of the nation’s history.

“At various times, dictators have risen. The people of Bangladesh have fought. The fascists have been removed through the July Uprising,” he said.

Hafiz also paid tribute to those who were martyred during the uprising, including Abu Sayed, Mir Mugdho, and Wasim.

The people are eagerly waiting to see what parliament does, the speaker said. He expressed the hope that the government and the opposition would work together for the national interest.

Those who will preside over parliament when speakers are absent

A five-member Presidium has been nominated to conduct parliamentary sessions in the absence of the speaker and deputy speaker in the 13th National Parliament.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad announced the list in parliament on Thursday.

The presidium includes Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed, MP for Dhaka-8; Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, MP for Dhaka-2; Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, MP for Narsingdi-1; Mohammad Monirul Haque Chowdhury, MP for Cumilla-6; and ATM Azharul Islam, MP for Rangpur-2.

According to the announcement, “In the absence of the speaker and deputy speaker, the member whose name appears first among the Presidium members present in the session will take the chair of the speaker.”

Under parliamentary procedure, Presidium members are nominated in every parliament to preside over proceedings when both the speaker and deputy speaker are absent.

Speaker Hafiz leaves party post

Following the break for Zuhr prayers, the first session of the 13th parliament has resumed.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad then began presiding over the session.

In order to maintain neutrality, Hafiz said he has resigned from his post in the BNP National Standing Committee.

“Bangladesh comes first,” he said. “That should be our motto.”

President Md Shahabuddin had administered the oaths of office to the new speaker and deputy speaker of the 13th parliament earlier in the day.

The first session of the new parliament began at 11am. Senior MP and BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain presided over the session after the approval of the government and parliamentary opposition.

Elections were then held for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman put forward Hafiz’s name as speaker. It was then backed by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of the ruling party and Jamaat-e-Islami MP Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher of the opposition.

20-minute break

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has announced a 20-minute break for Zuhr prayers.

The announcement was made around 1pm on Thursday.

A mechanical glitch had caused the parliament microphones to stop working.

The speaker used a hand microphone to make the announcement.

President Md Shahabuddin had administered the oaths of office to the new speaker and deputy speaker of the 13th parliament earlier in the day.

The first session of the new parliament began at 11am. Senior MP and BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain presided over the session after the approval of the government and parliamentary opposition.

He then held elections for the speaker and deputy speaker.

VVIP guests crowd gallery

The VVIP lounge and audience galleries next to the speaker’s seat are full to the brim with guests during the first session of the 13th parliament.

Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor to the interim government, was in attendance alongside former law advisor Asif Nazrul and Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin.

The first session opened at 11 am. The elected MPs entered the session hall from 10am, checked their seats, and greeted each other.

The Parliament Secretariat has invited distinguished citizens, diplomats, senior government officials, and citizens from different walks of life to the first session. Seats are provided in the surrounding galleries for the invited guests.

The family of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman have also arrived to witness the session.

The prime minister's wife Zubaida Rahman, her mother, Syeda Iqbal Mandbanu, Tarique Rahman's daughter Zaima Rahman, and Shamila Rahman, wife of the Tarique’s late brother Arafat Rahman Koko, sat in the VVIP gallery on the right side of the speaker’s seat.

The late Begum Khaleda Zia's younger brother Shamim Iskandar, his wife Kaniz Fatema, and Zubaida's elder sister Shahina Khan Bindu sat in the second row.

The Prime Minister's Defence Advisor ATM Shamsul Islam, Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, Navy Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Air Chief Marshal Hassan Mahmud Khan, and others were also present.

US Ambassador Brent T Christensen, UK High Commissioner Sarah Cooke, Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Kumar Verma, Pakistan High Commissioner Imran Haider and other diplomats were in attendance as well.  

Also, rickshaw puller Nur Muhammad, who carried martyred Golam Nafiz, shot during the July Uprising of 2024, to the hospital in his rickshaw, was seen sitting in the gallery. 

New minister sworn in

Tangail-8 MP Ahmed Azam Khan has taken his oath of office as a new minister.

He was administered his oath of office by President Md Shahabuddin at the head of state’s offices at the Parliament Building on Thursday.

Speaker, deputy speaker take oaths of office

President Md Shahabuddin has administered the oaths of office to Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal at his office in the Parliament Building after they were elected by the 13th parliament.

Hafiz, a six-time MP, was the minister for Liberation War affairs in Tarique Rahman’s cabinet. A member of the BNP National Standing Committee, the party’s top policymaking body, he was also the minister for water resources in the Khaleda Zia government in 2001.

The first session of the 13th parliament began at 11:05am on Thursday and was presided over by senior MP Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain by the unanimous decision of the MPs. As per the rules, the speaker and deputy speaker were elected at the beginning of the session.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni nominated Hafiz for the post of speaker and Whip Rakibul Islam seconded it.

There were no other nominations for speaker and Hafiz was elected by voice vote.

Whip Ruhul Quddus Talukder then proposed the name of Barrister Kayser as deputy speaker. Whip ABM Ashraf Uddin Nijan seconded the proposal.

Kayser was the state minister for land in Tarique’s cabinet.

Parliament was then adjourned for 30 minutes.

Kayser Kamal elected deputy speaker

State Minister for Land Kayser Kamal has been elected as the deputy speaker for the 13th parliament. 

Hafiz Uddin Ahmad elected as speaker

BNP National Standing Committee Member, and Bhola-3 MP Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has been elected as the speaker for the 13th parliament. 

Mosharraf presides over session

Veteran MP Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain is presiding over the session with the unanimous backing of other MPs under changed circumstances in the wake of the 2024 July Uprising and in the absence of speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and deputy speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku of the 12th parliament.

At 10:55am, the leader of the government, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, entered the parliament session room. The MPs of the government and opposition congratulated him by banging on their tables loudly.

It is the first time Tarique is entering the first session of parliament as an MP.

Though the session room was full, the speaker’s chair stood empty. The first session was then convened, with the president’s chair placed next to that of the speaker.

Tarique then stood and asked the parliament to elect a member to begin the session and proposed Mosharraf’s name as speaker.

As MPs thumped their tables in approval, Mosharraf stood up from the front row. The sergeant of arms tasked with maintaining internal order, security, and protocol in the Parliament Building then saluted him and took him to the speaker’s seat.

According to the day's agenda, the speaker and deputy speaker of parliament are to be elected first. 

"A Fresh Journey for Democracy"

The 13th national parliament has convened on Thursday, 20 months after the formation of the interim government following the July Uprising.

The agenda for the first day includes elections to constitutional posts, the presentation of 133 ordinances, and an address by the president.

According to the National Parliament Secretariat, the day’s agenda also includes the election of the speaker and deputy speaker, the nomination of the Presidium, and a condolence motion.

The invitation letter for the session describes it as a historic moment in the “fresh journey of parliamentary democracy”.

The parliamentary session before this was held prior to the fall of the Awami League government in the July Uprising. The budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year was presented and passed during the session. The budget was passed on Jun 30, 2024 and the session concluded on Jul 3.

The Sheikh Hasina-led government toppled in the face of a mass movement by students and members of the public. An interim government took power and began work on reforms before holding a general election on Feb 12.

The BNP won an absolute majority in the polls and formed the government. The elected parliamentarians took their oaths on Feb 17.

President Md Shahabuddin called the session on Feb 23 under the powers granted by Article 72(1) of the Constitution. The Parliament Secretariat later officially released the schedule.

This is not only the first session of the 13th parliament, but also the first session of parliament in 2026. In accordance with parliamentary custom, the president delivers a speech in the first session of the year. Later, a motion of thanks and discussion is held on that speech.

According to the agenda of the day released by the Parliament Secretariat, the election of the speaker and deputy speaker will be held at the start of the day. After that, the nomination of the presidium will take place and a condolence motion placed.

13th parliament holds first session

A month after the 13th parliamentary elections, the 13th parliament has convened. 

The first session of the new parliament began at 11:05am, with a recitation from the Holy Quran.