People are vigilant guardians of democracy; parliament is its symbol: Speaker
'Bangladesh must come first – this should be our guiding principle,' he says
Speaker Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin has said that the people of Bangladesh are the vigilant guardians of democracy and that the parliament represents the symbol of democratic governance in the country.
"Democracy was killed in 1975 … one-party rule was introduced. Autocratic rulers also came later, but the resilient people of Bangladesh fought relentlessly against every autocracy and upheld the flag of democracy," he said in his speech during the inaugural session of the 13th National Parliament today (12 March).
Referring to the 1971 Liberation War, he said the war itself was fought for democracy and that the path toward democracy has never been smooth.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
He also mentioned the political developments of 2024, saying, "In July and August 2024, students, citizens, political activists and people from all walks of life united in a mass uprising that led to the fall of a fascist government."
During his speech, Hafiz Uddin prayed for the departed souls of those who lost their lives in the movement.
Highlighting his political experience, the speaker said he has taken part in 10 national elections and believes the latest election was the fairest among them.
He also noted that the people are eagerly waiting to witness the activities of this parliament.
Hafiz Uddin further said that he resigned from the post of a standing committee member of the BNP to ensure neutrality in carrying out his responsibilities as speaker.
"Bangladesh must come first – this should be our guiding principle," he added.
He expressed hope that the current parliament will become the centre of all political and administrative activities in the country and said lawmakers are committed to placing national interests above party interests.
The inaugural session of the parliament resumed around 1:30pm today following a recess.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman delivered brief remarks both at the beginning of the session and after it resumed.
A condolence motion was also placed by the speaker expressing profound grief over the deaths of three-time prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, former members of parliament and other noted personalities.
The maiden session of the 13th National Parliament began at 11:05am with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a welcome speech from Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Earlier, the prime minister nominated BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain to preside over the House in the absence of a speaker and a deputy speaker.
Later, Hafiz Uddin was elected speaker and Kayser Kamal was elected deputy speaker.
