New Bangladesh Parliament session likely in March March

The first session of the newly elected 13th Parliament of Bangladesh is expected to commence in the second week of March, a top official of the ruling BNP said on Saturday. The spokesman for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Salahuddin Ahmed, said that the first session of the 13th Parliament is expected to convene on March 12, or a few days earlier.

“The session will also present (Muhammad Yunus-led) interim Government ordinances and condolence motions,” Ahmed, who is also the home minister in Rahman’s new Cabinet, posted on social media. BNP formed the Government, bagging a two-thirds majority in the crucial elections held on February 12, while the far-right Jamaat-e-Islami emerged as the main Opposition. The parliament members were sworn in on February 17, and on the same day, BNP’s Chairman Rahman, 60, and his Cabinet took oath as the prime minister and ministers.

Bangladesh Constitution dictates that President Mohammad Shahabuddin must summon the inaugural session of the newly elected parliament within 30 days of gazette notification of election results, based on written advice from Rahman. But it remains unclear who would chair the inaugural sitting of the maiden parliamentary session.

As per the standard practice, the last parliament’s speaker or, in his/her absence, the deputy speaker, presides over the parliament solely for the purpose of electing a new speaker. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Choudhury resigned earlier and now lives in an undisclosed location, while deputy speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku is in jail.