Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain named chair of first parliamentary sitting

The first session of Bangladesh’s 13th Jatiya Sangsad began on Thursday, weeks after the February general election held in the aftermath of the July 2024 uprising.

The sitting started at 11:15am, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman delivering the opening speech.

During his speech, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced BNP Standing Committee member and Cumilla-1 (Daudkandi-Meghna) MP Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain as the chairman of the opening sitting of parliament.

The proposal was seconded by Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Abdullah Mohammad Taher, on behalf of the opposition.

Following the proposal and support, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain took the chair and formally began conducting the proceedings of the parliament.

Earlier, after the recitation from the Holy Quran, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman began his address shortly before 11:15am.

In his speech, he paid tribute to all those who were martyred in various movements and struggles since 1971.

He said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia fought for democracy until the last day of her life and never compromised with authoritarianism or fascism. He also paid tribute to former President Ziaur Rahman.

Tarique Rahman said he represents the people of the country regardless of party affiliation.

He added that BNP’s goal is to make every family self-reliant and to build a self-reliant Bangladesh, calling for cooperation from all in achieving that objective.

He also remarked that there should be no disagreement over building a self-reliant Bangladesh.