First Session of the 13th Parliament Begins Thursday

The first session of the 13th National Parliament is scheduled to begin on Thursday. However, as of Tuesday, it remained unclear who will preside over the opening meeting and who will be chosen as the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

A decision on these matters is expected to be taken at a meeting of the parliamentary party of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Wednesday morning. The meeting will be chaired by party chief and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. According to BNP sources, the selection of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker and the issue of who will chair the opening sitting will be discussed and finalized there.

As the party holding the majority in parliament, the ruling party’s nominees are usually elected as Speaker and Deputy Speaker. These two posts traditionally go to members from the governing party. This time, however, BNP has proposed offering the Deputy Speaker position to the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. It is not yet confirmed whether Jamaat will accept the position, and the party may take a decision in its own meeting on Wednesday.

Background of the Election

The government led by Awami League fell on 5 August 2024 following a mass uprising. About a year and a half later, on 12 February, the 13th parliamentary election was held under an interim administration. In the election, BNP secured a two-thirds majority and formed the government.

According to the constitution, parliament must be convened within 30 days of the announcement of election results. Accordingly, President Mohammad Shahabuddin has summoned the first session of the 13th parliament on 12 March. The session will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the parliament chamber in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

The opening session of a new parliament is typically longer than usual, though the exact duration has not yet been determined. The timeframe will be set after the formation of the parliamentary business advisory committee.

Possible Candidates for Speaker

BNP is reportedly seeking experienced and politically acceptable figures for the top parliamentary posts. Names being discussed for the Speaker’s position include senior BNP leaders Abdul Moyeen Khan, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and former education minister Osman Faruk. Among them, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed is said to be the leading contender.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters that the party’s parliamentary meeting on Wednesday would determine the Speaker and decide who will preside over the first sitting.

Agenda of the First Day

Several formal procedures are scheduled for the first meeting of the new parliament. The most important among them is the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Normally, the outgoing Speaker or Deputy Speaker presides over the opening session. This time, however, the situation is different. Former Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury resigned in September 2024 and has not appeared publicly since then. Meanwhile, the outgoing Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku is currently in prison after being arrested in a murder case.

Because of this, discussions are ongoing about who will preside over the opening sitting. According to parliamentary rules, the President may appoint a member of parliament to chair the first meeting. In this regard, senior BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain is being mentioned as a possible choice.

After the presiding member delivers an opening speech, parliament will elect the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The President will then administer their oath, during which the session will briefly adjourn. Once the oath ceremony concludes, parliamentary activities will resume under the leadership of the newly elected Speaker.

Presidential Address and Legislative Work

Under the constitution, the President addresses the first session of a newly elected parliament as well as the first session of each year. After a condolence motion is adopted, the President will deliver the address to parliament. Members of parliament will later debate a motion of thanks on the President’s speech.

In addition, ordinances issued during the interim government period must be placed before parliament in its first meeting. If parliament does not approve them within 30 days of being tabled, they will lose legal validity.

BNP standing committee member and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the ordinances issued during the interim period would be carefully reviewed before approval.

Will Jamaat Accept the Deputy Speaker Post?

The “July National Charter” proposes a bicameral legislature, with the upper house formed proportionally based on votes in the lower house. It also recommends that both houses have Deputy Speakers from the opposition.

While BNP agrees with the idea of opposition representation in the Deputy Speaker position, it has reservations about the structure of the proposed upper house. Nevertheless, the party has offered the Deputy Speaker post in the current parliament to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

Several Jamaat members of parliament said their party will discuss whether to accept the position and what stance to take on the President’s address during a meeting of their parliamentary committee on Wednesday.

Sources within Jamaat noted that historically there has been no precedent in Bangladesh for the opposition holding the Deputy Speaker position. The proposal first appeared in the July National Charter. Jamaat reportedly prefers to receive the post as part of the charter’s political agreement rather than as a gesture of goodwill from the ruling party.