Telecom Ordinance on Agenda as 13th Parliament Begins First Session

The first session of the 13th National Parliament has begun with the Speaker’s chair left vacant in the parliamentary chamber. The session commenced at 11:05 am on Thursday, 12 March, with the recitation of the Holy Quran.

Shortly before 11:15 am, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman began his address in the inaugural session. He paid tribute to all martyrs of movements and struggles from 1971 to the present.

The first session may continue for approximately one month.

Earlier, Chief Whip of the National Parliament Nurul Islam Moni had said that a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker would be elected on the first day of this session. According to the decision of the BNP, the majority party, the historic session would begin with the opening speech of the Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Following the election, the session will be adjourned for 15 to 20 minutes. During this break, President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the newly elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker at the Parliament building. Afterward, the main proceedings of the session will begin under the chairmanship of the new Speaker.

During the session, a five-member panel of chairpersons will be nominated and a condolence motion will be placed. In addition, the government’s primary task at the first sitting will be to place before Parliament approximately 130 ordinances issued during the 18-month tenure of the interim government.

Item number 122 on the list is the Bangladesh Telecommunication Ordinance (Amendment) 2026. Once Parliament approves this ordinance, the new telecommunications policy will come into effect.

Earlier in the morning, before joining the first session of Parliament, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said that the Parliament expected by the people was about to convene. Through this Parliament, he said, the journey of democracy would begin and the aspirations of the July martyrs would be fulfilled.

On Wednesday, 11 March, members of Parliament from both the government and the opposition held separate parliamentary party meetings. However, it remains unclear who will preside over the opening sitting and who will be elected as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the new Parliament. At yesterday’s meeting, Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman indicated the implementation of the July Charter with a note of dissent in line with his party’s position.

Meanwhile, according to the positions of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizens Party, opposition members want the July Charter—passed through a referendum—to be implemented in its entirety. The primary disagreements between the two sides revolve around the framework of the caretaker government system, the method for forming an upper house of Parliament, and the process for appointing several constitutional institutions.

DBTech/IH/MUM/OR