The Tamesis
March 13, 2026
Dhaka – Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban will start functioning at 11:00 am when the newly elected legislators gather for the first meeting.
They were elected in a general election on February 12, the first credible poll in the country in 15 years.
Since 1991, Bangladesh’s parliament has often been marred by boycotts, empty debates and a perception that it is nothing more than a rubber stamp for the ruling party.
Expectations are therefore high that the new House of Representatives will break this mold.
From the outset, Parliament faced several key tasks. The most urgent of these is deciding the fate of 133 decrees issued by the interim government. Under the constitution, Parliament must approve or reject them within 30 days.
MPs will also elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker on the first day. The new parliament has a two-thirds majority for the Finance Minister.
However, uncertainty remains over the formation of the Constitutional Reform Commission proposed to be established under the National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order of July 2025.
Nurul Islam Moni, Chief Whip of the 13th Parliament, told reporters at a press conference yesterday: “The parliamentary session starting tomorrow will be the People’s Assembly, the highest democratic body representing the rights, hopes and dreams of the people.
“Our aim is to run an effective, vibrant and accountable parliament,” he said.
“We want an environment of constructive discussion, reasoned argumentation and healthy debate on issues of national importance. The beauty of democracy is that despite differences of opinion, solutions to national problems are found through discussion.”
He also expressed hope that the opposition parties will play a constructive role so that the country can move towards a stronger and more self-reliant future.
first meeting
Nurul said the first meeting will begin with a brief vacancy in the speaker’s seat as there is currently no speaker or deputy speaker in office.
Prime Minister Tariq Rahman, leader of the House of Representatives, will nominate a senior lawmaker to preside over the session on an interim basis. Nurul said the nominated member would preside over the meeting to elect the speaker and deputy speaker after being seconded by another member.
Typically, the outgoing Speaker or Deputy Speaker presides over the first meeting of the new Parliament. The Speaker of the 12th Parliament, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, resigned in September 2024 and has not been seen in public since; Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku is in jail after being arrested for murder in connection with the July uprising.
Nurul said the BNP parliamentary party has entrusted Tariq with nominating candidates for speaker and deputy speaker.
After the election, both men will be sworn in by the president, and then the new speaker will preside over the House of Representatives.
The Parliamentary Business Advisory Committee will also be established during the first meeting, chaired by the Speaker. The committee will decide on the duration of the inaugural session and the parliamentary agenda.
Condolences will be offered to three-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the former chairperson of the BNP, as well as those who made huge sacrifices during the massive July uprising, as well as other prominent figures at home and abroad.
The Law Minister will introduce 133 decrees issued during the interim government. The chief whip said a “select committee” of Treasury and opposition MPs would be set up to review it.
“The committee will decide which decrees will remain in force and which ones will expire. We will try to pass the necessary decrees before April 12,” he added.
President Mohammad Shahabuddin is scheduled to address the meeting. The day’s meeting will be adjourned after his speech.
Reform committee unsure
As per the July Charter Order, members of the 13th Parliament are expected to perform dual roles as legislators and members of the Constitutional Reform Committee to address the 48 constitutional provisions outlined in the July Charter within 180 working days.
To do this, MPs must take two separate oaths: once as a member of the Assembly and once as a member of the Council.
However, the future of the commission remains uncertain. Nurul said the committee was not constitutionally recognized and that was why the BNP MPs were not sworn in to be its members.
He added that a decision on the matter would be taken once the committee is included in the constitution.
The proposal to form the council suffered a setback when BNP MPs were sworn in as MPs but refused to be sworn in as council members. In contrast, MPs from the Jamaat-e-Islami and the opposition alliance were sworn in.
expect
Al Masood Hasanulzaman, professor at the Department of Government and Politics at Jahangirnagar University, said many people hope that the stagnation and failure of past parliaments will not be repeated.
“The finance minister and the opposition have to play their respective roles,” he said.
He said the opposition parties have expressed their desire to make Parliament constructive, adding that the offer to offer the post of deputy speaker to the opposition parties is a positive gesture from the BNP.
He said that in order for Parliament to be effective and strengthen the legislative process, every bill must undergo proper scrutiny and debate.
He wants the culture of boycotting parliament, the absence of opposition leaders and the use of “unparliamentary language” to end.
Although lawmaking is one of Parliament’s core responsibilities, legislators often show limited interest or reveal a lack of skills or knowledge required for meaningful legislative deliberations.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) found that in the 11th Parliament, only 16.7% of the total sitting time was devoted to legislation. The 10th Parliament spent 12% of its time on legislative matters, while the 9th Parliament spent only 8% of its time.
boycott movement
The history of the Bangladesh Parliament is also marked by frequent boycotts.
The Awami League boycotted 34% of seats in the fifth Parliament, the BNP boycotted 43% in the seventh Parliament, the Awami League boycotted 60% in the eighth Parliament and the BNP boycotted 82% in the ninth Parliament.
The absenteeism rate of opposition leaders reached 70% in the fifth parliament, 93% in the seventh parliament, 88% in the eighth parliament, 97.6% in the ninth parliament, 41% in the tenth parliament, and 80% in the eleventh parliament.
The culture of boycotting parliament has declined significantly in the 10th, 11th and 12th Parliaments, shaped by disputed elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024.
In the 10th National Assembly, a rare precedent was set, with three opposition MPs from the National Party holding cabinet positions at the same time. The party played only a limited role as an opposition party in the next two parliaments.
Professor Nizam Ahmed, an expert on parliamentary affairs, said he remained cautiously optimistic about the new House of Representatives.
He noted that many MPs were professionals rather than businessmen, which could give them an advantage in parliamentary work.
“From the party’s perspective, there also appears to be a serious effort to prepare and train them and build a disciplined team that is ready for future responsibilities,” he said.
