The 12th parliament of the country started its journey on Tuesday with the participation of all the treasury and opposition bench lawmakers along with a record number of independent MPs.
The day’s business of the House began with the election of the Speaker with Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku in the chair.
Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was re-elected as the Speaker for the fourth consecutive term as there was no candidate for the third highest constitutional post.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader proposed Shirin Sharmin’s name for the post of the Speaker while Chief Whip Noor-E Alam Chowdhury supported it.
The Deputy Speaker then placed the proposal before the House for voting and lawmakers supported it by a voice vote.
Soon after her re-election, the House went for a 20-minute recess to facilitate oath taking of the newly-elected Speaker.
President Mohammad Sahabuddin administered the oath at his chamber in the parliament.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was present at the oath-taking ceremony.
After taking oath, the Speaker started the process for electing the Deputy Speaker. Treasury bench lawmaker AB Tajul Islam proposed Shamsul Haque’s name for the post of the Deputy Speaker while Mokbul Hossain supported it.
The Speaker placed the proposal before the House for voting and lawmakers supported it by a voice vote.
Earlier, President Mohammed Shahabuddin appointed Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury MP (Madaripur-1) as the chief whip and Iqbalur Rahim MP (Dinajpur-3), Abu Saeed Al Mahmud Swapan MP, (Joypurhat-2), Md Nazrul Islam Babu MP (Naraynganj-2), Mashrafe
Bin Mortaza MP (Narail-2) and Saimum Sarwar Kamal (Cox's Bazar-2) as whips.
The Chief Whip will enjoy the status of a minister while the whips will enjoy the status of a state minister.
Congratulating the Speaker, treasury bench senior lawmakers Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Dipu Moni and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament GM Quader addressed the House.
After the election of the Deputy Speaker, the Speaker nominated a
five-member panel of chairmen for the first session to chair the House in absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. They are AB Tajul Islam, Shahabuddin, AFM Ruhul Haque, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Umme Kulsum.
The House also adopted obituary reference on a number of noted personalities, including Kuwait Amir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, former minister Syed ABul Hossain, former state minister Zinatun Nessa Talukder and former MP Akram Hossain Chowdhury.
The House went for a short recess as the President was supposed to address the House in line with a constitutional provision.
After the President’s speech, the Speaker adjourned the House until February 4.
