Parliament session on Jan 29

The first session of the 10th National Parliament will begin on Jan 29, and the first meeting of the new Cabinet will be held on Thursday.

Jainal Abedin, director of Public Relations at the Parliament Secretariat and Cabinet Secretariat Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters on Monday.

The 10th assembly came into being through the national election of Jan 5. Awami League formed the largest bloc with BNP boycotting the polls, and was re-elected to power.

Parliament Secretariat official Jainal Abedin said the President had summoned the first session of the 10th national assembly. The session will start at 6pm on Jan 29.

President Abdul Hamid, in keeping with norms, will give a speech on the first day of the session. The President addresses the assembly’s first session, and any session that starts at the onset of a new year.

According to rules, a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be elected during the first session chaired by outgoing Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

Shirin Sharmin had been earlier elected Speaker as a member of the reserved seat for women.
Sharmin did not contest in the Jan 5 polls and if she should return to being the Speaker again, she must be elected as an MP from a reserved woman seat. That process must also be completed before Jan 29.

The 9th Parliament, which began its journey on Jan 25 of 2009, is valid until Jan 24.

Bangladesh’s three-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been elected Leader of the House for the 10th assembly. This is the Awami League chief has been elected the leader of the House Leader.

Jatiya Party, which has emerged as the second biggest bloc in Parliament in the absence of the BNP, has elected Presidium member Raushan Ershad as the Leader of the Opposition.

The roles of House Leader and Opposition Leader were being swapped between Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia since 1991, making Raushan an exception this time.

The 9th Assembly had made a record by achieving 418 working days. It has also passed a record amount of bills – a total 271.

The previous Opposition led by BNP also made a record number of boycotts with a total absence stretching to 342 working days. It was, however, present on 76 days but Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia was present for merely 10 days.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary said the new cabinet will meet at 10am on Thursday.

Sheikh Hasina was sworn into office along with 29 ministers, 17 state ministers and two deputy ministers on Sunday.