First session of 13th parliament kicks off

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

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 was the first time Tarique entered the first session of parliament as an MP.

Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat, Kaniz Maula, inaugurated the proceedings. Then, at 11:05am, the parliament session began with the recitation of the Holy Quran. After that, the leader of parliament, Tarique, delivered the opening speech.

He paid tribute to all the martyrs in the movement and who have taken part in the struggle, starting from the great Liberation War of 1971.

Tarique said, “Leader Khaleda Zia fought for democracy until the last day of her life. She did not compromise with dictatorship or fascism.”

He also paid tribute to BNP founder former president Ziaur Rahman.

Tarique said that the journey of desired democracy has begun in the country and that he is representing the people of the country regardless of party affiliation.

The BNP's goal is to make every family self-reliant, he said.

The prime minister also commented that there can be no conflict in building a self-reliant Bangladesh and sought everyone's cooperation to build a self-reliant Bangladesh.

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 to preside over the session.

BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir seconded Tarique's proposal.

Then, Jamaat Nayeb-e-Amir Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, deputy leader of the opposition in parliament, supported the proposal to name Mosharraf.

He said, "We fully support this name. However, it would have been better if the proposal was discussed with the opposition party beforehand."

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.

SPEAKER, DEPUTY SPEAKER ELECTED

Mosharraf said that he received only one nomination for the election of the speaker of parliament - BNP National Standing Committee Member MP maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad. Mosharraf added that Hafiz is willing to fulfill this responsibility.

He called on Barguna MP Nurul Islam to present the motion and it went forward. MP Rakibul Islam seconded the motion.

The motion was tabled and passed.

Mosharraf said, "Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, the MP from the Bhola 3 constituency, has been elected as the speaker of the 13th Parliament session unanimously and unopposed."

Then came the turn of the deputy speaker election.

Mosharraf said that he had also received only a single nomination for the post - MP and State Minister for Lands Kayser Kamal. The session president said that Kayser agreed to take on the responsibility.

He called on MP Ruhul Quddus Talukder to move the motion, which he did. MP Ashrafuddin supported the motion.

It was then tabled and passed.

Mosharraf said, "Member of Parliament and State Minister for Land Kayser Kamal has been elected as the deputy speaker of the 13th parliament session unanimously and unopposed."

Mosharraf then adjourned the parliament session for 30 minutes.

The last parliamentary session before the fall of the Awami League government during the July Mass Uprising ended on Jul 3, 2024.

That was the budget session, where the budget for the 2024–25 fiscal year was presented and passed. The budget was approved on Jun 30 and the session concluded on Jul 3.

The government led by Sheikh Hasina later fell in the face of massive protests by students and the public.

After the interim government moved forward with reform initiatives, elections were held on Feb 12. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a landslide victory and formed the government. The elected members of parliament were sworn in on Feb 17.

President Mohammad Shahabuddin convened the session on Feb 23 using his authority under Article 72(1) of the Constitution. The Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat later formally published the schedule.

This will be the first session of the 13th parliament as well as the first parliamentary session of 2026. According to parliamentary tradition, the president will deliver an address at the first session of the year, which will later be followed by a motion of thanks and discussion.

According to the agenda published by the parliament secretariat, the meeting will begin with the election of the speaker and deputy speaker. This will be followed by the nomination of the panel of chairpersons and a condolence motion.

After that, during the presentation stage, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman will place 133 ordinances before parliament under Article 93(2) of the Constitution.