Opposition party walks out of Parliament

Some 133 Ordinances which were promulgated during the Professor Muahmmad Yunus- led interim government was placed in Parliament on Thursday.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman placed all these Ordinances in the House.

According to the existing law of the country, if any ordinance is promulgate during the absence of the Parliament session must be placed on the first day of the next available session.

These Ordinances will be sent to the respective ministries to formulate those in the Bill form, if the government wanted to do so and get the nod of the cabinet.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Thursday invited President Mohammad Shahabuddin to deliver his speech in the Jatiya Sangsad during the first session of the 13th National Parliament.

At that moment, members of the opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami stood up in protest inside the parliament chamber. Several lawmakers were seen holding placards with slogans related to the July issue.

The placards carried messages such as “No betrayal over July” and calls to maintain credibility regarding the July movement.

A discussion on the condolence motion in the Parliament began with tributes to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The discussion later focused on the July martyrs.

Members of Parliament including Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Nahid Islam, Zonayed Saki, and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee spoke about the July fighters during the debate on the condolence motion.

Following the discussion, lawmakers stood in the chamber and observed a one-minute silence to pay their respects.

Advocate Ahmed Azam Khan, BNP Vice Chairman and Member of Parliament from Tangail-8 (Bashail-Sakhipur), was sworn in as a Minister on Thursday.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was also present.

The opposition in the National Parliament on Thursday called for additional condolence motions to honor several political and religious figures.

Earlier in the session, parliament adopted condolence motions for former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Pope Francis, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Speaking during the session, opposition deputy leader and Naib-e-Amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said the condolence motion was one-sided.

He demanded that parliament also bring condolence motions for several other leaders, including Motiur Rahman Nizami, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, and Sharif Osman Hadi.

Nahid Islam, Opposition Chief Whip of the parliament, has urged that the names of Sharif Osman bin Hadi, Abrar Fahad, and Felani Khatun be included in the ongoing condolence motions in the National Parliament.

Nahid emphasised that recognising these individuals alongside other national and international figures would honor their contributions and the tragic circumstances of their deaths, reflecting the parliament’s commitment to justice and remembrance.

The National Parliament on Thursday presented condolence motions for several prominent leaders. Tributes were paid to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Pope Francis, and Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Additionally, condolence motions were introduced for former President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, Matia Chowdhury, and 31 other former members of the parliament.

Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed announced a 20-minute break in the 13th National Parliament for the Zuhr (noon) prayers on Thursday around 1:00 pm.

Due to a technical issue, the parliamentary microphone system was not working at the time, and the speaker made the announcement using a handheld microphone.

The first session of the 13th National Parliament commenced on Thursday at 11:00am. According to sources at the Parliament Secretariat, President Mohammad Sahabuddin is scheduled to deliver a speech at 2:00pm, which is expected to last approximately 40 minutes.

President Mohammad Sahabuddin administered the oath of office to Major (Retd.) Hafizuddin Ahmed as Speaker of the 13th National Parliament on Thursday, shortly after 12:00pm. The ceremony took place at the President’s office within the Parliament building.

Following this, Kaiser Kamal was sworn in as Deputy Speaker by the President, formally completing the leadership appointments for the new parliamentary session.

During the first session of the 13th National Parliament, Kaiser Kamal was elected Deputy Speaker.

Speaker Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain announced that Kaiser Kamal, who is also the State Minister for Land, was the sole nominee for the position and had agreed to take on the role.

Parliament member Ruhul Quddus Talukder was called upon to formally present the proposal, which received support from MP Ashrafuddin.

The motion was put to the house and approved unanimously, officially confirming Kaiser Kamal as the Deputy Speaker.

In a key development during the first session of the 13th National Parliament, Hafizuddin Ahmed was officially elected as the Speaker.

The election took place following nominations in the parliamentary session, and Hafizuddin Ahmed’s name was formally proposed and endorsed by members across party lines. His appointment marks a significant step in the functioning of the new parliament, ensuring leadership to preside over legislative proceedings.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday said there should be no disagreement over building a self-reliant Bangladesh, urging cooperation from all political groups to achieve the goal.

The prime minister began his speech shortly before 11:15am, following the recitation from the Holy Quran, during the first session of the Jatiya Sangsad.

The first session of the 13th National Parliament began at 11:00am on Thursday, with key parliamentary formalities taking place at the Jatiya Sangsad.

During the session, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party Standing Committee and lawmaker elected from Cumilla-1 (Daudkandi–Meghna) constituency, as the Speaker of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.