BNP MPs entrust PM Tarique to finalise speaker, deputy speaker candidates

Ruling party MPs have entrusted Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with the responsibility of nominating candidates for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker in the first session of the 13th parliament.

The lawmakers bestowed the responsibility on Tarique on Wednesday at the meeting room for the government parliamentary party on the ninth floor of the Parliament Building, said Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni.

He said, "The election of the speaker and deputy speaker was discussed in the parliamentary party meeting. We, the parliamentary party, have decided that the honourable leader of the government will determine the nominations for the speaker and deputy speaker."

"You will get to know about the nominees for these posts tomorrow."

The meeting was held at 11am. It was presided over by the Tarique.

The first session of the 13th parliament will start at 11am on Thursday. The day's programme for the session includes the election of the speaker and deputy speaker.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin will also deliver a speech at the session.

Outlining the agenda for the session, the chief whip said: "The leader of the House of Representatives made a guiding statement today at the parliamentary party meeting. He spoke about how we will behave in parliament and what our activities will be."

"To give you an idea of our activities, the parliament will not operate as usual. Since we do not have an existing speaker or deputy speaker, we will start with an empty chair in parliament. A person will recite the Holy Quran. The honourable prime minister, our leader in parliament, will announce which senior leader will preside over this meeting... After he proposes the name, someone will second it, and that selected individual will preside over it. At the session, we will elect the honorable speaker and deputy speaker."

He said, "After the speaker is elected, they will take the office, and the presidium will be nominated. A condolence motion will be raised and discussed. The condolence motion will speak of the late national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, the July warriors, and those individuals who have been martyred in the country."

"After this, 133 ordinances will be presented by the law minister. The 2024 report of the working commission will be presented and then the leader of the parliament will deliver his speech."

The whip said, "We will try to form the Business Advisory Committee, Special Committee, Privilege Committee, and Parliamentary Committee for the parliament. If it cannot be done tomorrow, we will form these committees the following day."

When asked if there was any discussion about proposing a deputy speaker to be elected from the opposition, and whether the opposition had responded to it, the chief whip said: “We haven’t received any positive response in this regard. We’ll take necessary actions if there’s a positive response.”

Asked if any decision has been made regarding a deputy leader of the government, he said: “No decision has been made on this matter. The leader of the government will decide whether there will be a deputy leader or not.”

In response to a question on the National Consensus Committee’s July Charter, the chief whip said: “Our statement on the July Charter is very clear. We did not take an oath for it. This is because it is not part of the Constitution.”

“We will decide on it once it is included in the Constitution.”

“The 133 ordinances will go to the special committee for scrutiny. Those which need to be dropped, or need to be accepted - everything will be done according to the rules. Those which need to be passed in parliament will be done, In Sha Allah.”

The elections for the 13th parliament were held on Feb 12. After the swearing-in ceremony of the new MPs on Feb 17, the first meeting of the BNP parliamentary party unanimously elected party chairman Tarique Rahman as the head of government. He took his oath as the prime minister that afternoon.

The results of two seats in the 300-seat parliament remain pending, while voting in one constituency has been suspended due to the death of a candidate.

Of the remaining 297 seats, the BNP won 209, Jamaat-e-Islami 68, National Citizen Party (NCP) six, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis won two seats.

In addition, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Gono Adhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Gana Sanghati Andolan and Khelafat Majlis won one seat each. Independent candidates have taken seven seats.