President to convene 1st session of 13th parliament on 12 March
The president convened the session by exercising the powers vested in him under Article 72(1) of the Constitution of Bangladesh.
President Mohammad Shahabuddin has summoned the first session of the 13th National Parliament at 11am on 12 March.
The session will be held in the parliament chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka, according to a press release issued by the Parliament Secretariat today (23 February).
The president convened the session by exercising the powers vested in him under Article 72(1) of the Constitution of Bangladesh.
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Earlier, yesterday (22 February), Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat that the first session of the new parliament would be held on 12 March, when a speaker and deputy speaker will be elected.
He said that under the constitutional procedure, a summary of the session schedule is sent from the Parliament Secretariat to the President's Office through the Prime Minister's Office, after which the president formally summons the inaugural session on the prime minister's advice.
The first sitting will also place various ordinances promulgated during the tenure of the interim government before the House, alongside a condolence motion and the customary presidential address.
According to the Constitution, the president must summon the inaugural session of a newly elected parliament within 30 days of gazetting the election results, based on written advice from the prime minister.
The 13th national election and referendum were held on 12 February, with results gazetted the following day, and newly elected MPs took oath on 13 February, making the first session mandatory before 14 March.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been appointed parliamentary leader and his government has already begun functioning, although key parliamentary posts, including speaker, deputy leader and chief whip, are yet to be finalised.
On the opposition benches, Shafiqur Rahman of Jamaat-e-Islami has been named leader, Syed Abdullah Md Taher deputy leader, and Nahid Islam of the NCP chief whip.
The deputy speaker is expected to come from the opposition in line with the July National Charter.
