Parliament goes into session Wednesday for Mahmood Ali’s first fiscal plan

This will be the first budget of AH Mahmood Ali

The 12th parliament will reconvene for its third session on Wednesday in which Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali will present his first plan for the economy.

The Parliament Secretariat said the budget session will start at 5pm. Condolence motions will be placed after the selection of presidium at the start of the session.

For the Prime Minister’s Questions, 30 minutes have been allocated on the first day.

Other ministers will take questions from the MPs afterwards, with the health, shipping, religious and cultural affairs lined up for Wednesday.

Then there will be a discussion on notices drawing attention (Rule-71) to matters of urgent and public importance.

AHM Mustafa Kamal will present the report of the parliamentary standing committee on the finance ministry about the Payment and Settlement System Bill.

Before the beginning of the session on Wednesday, the duration of the session and other functions will be determined in the working advisory committee meeting to be chaired by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

Mahmood Ali will present his budget proposal for the 2024-25 fiscal year on Thursday.

MPs will then discuss the supplementary budget for the 2023-24 financial year and the proposed one for the next fiscal year.

Finance ministry official said the budget is expected to be near Tk 8 trillion in size. It is scheduled to be passed on Jun 30.

Following the norms, the first day’s session is postponed after passing condolence motions for the death of any MP.

Police said Jhenaidah-4 MP Anwarul Azim Anar was murdered last month in Kolkata, but his body could not be found as the killers allegedly chopped it into pieces before dumping it into canals or flashing through the toilet.

But since there is no formal government announcement on his death, officials said there will be no condolence motion for him now.