BNP Parliamentary Meeting Ahead of First Session of 13th Parliament

The first session of Bangladesh’s 13th Parliament is scheduled to begin on March 12. According to the Constitution, the first sitting of a newly elected parliament is usually presided over by the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the outgoing parliament.

However, the situation has become complicated this time. The Speaker of the 12th Parliament, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, resigned from her post in September 2024, while Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku is currently in prison in connection with a murder case. As a result, a presiding member must be selected to begin the first session.

A meeting of the BNP parliamentary party will be held on Wednesday, one day before the opening session. The meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister and parliamentary leader Tarique Rahman, where the party is expected to decide who will preside over the first sitting during the election of the Speaker.

According to BNP sources, party Standing Committee member Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain may preside over the opening session. If he is unable to do so for any reason, Standing Committee member and Liberation War Affairs Minister Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed could take on the responsibility. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker will then be elected under his supervision.

BNP is reportedly seeking experienced and politically acceptable figures for the top parliamentary posts. Names being discussed for the position of Speaker include Dr. Moin Khan, Major Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and former opposition chief whip Zainul Abedin.

Several party whips said that only Prime Minister Tarique Rahman knows who will ultimately be nominated as Speaker and Deputy Speaker. A candidate with prior parliamentary management experience is likely to be chosen.

The name of senior Supreme Court lawyer Zainul Abedin has also surfaced in discussions. Although he has been elected as a member of parliament for the first time, his long legal career and expertise in constitutional and parliamentary procedures have placed him among the potential candidates, according to multiple sources.

If Jamaat does not take the position, BNP is expected to elect a Deputy Speaker from among its own members on the first day. Several names are also being discussed for that role.

Meanwhile, the election results in two constituencies—Chattogram-2 (Fatikchhari) and Chattogram-4 (Sitakunda)—remain uncertain despite BNP candidates receiving the highest votes. The results for Sarwar Alamgir and Mohammad Aslam Chowdhury have been suspended by court order, preventing them from joining the first parliamentary session.

Both candidates face loan default cases. Although the court allowed them to contest the election, the Appellate Division will determine whether their candidacies were valid. If they are proven to be loan defaulters, they will lose their seats before taking oath. If cleared, they will be able to take oath and join parliament.

On Monday, Chief Whip of Parliament Nurul Islam Sarkar requested BNP lawmakers to attend the parliamentary party meeting through an official press release.