225 MPs Take Seats for First Time in Parliament, Including PM and Opposition Leader

The first session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad commenced today, Thursday (12 March), at 11:00 a.m., summoned by President Mohammed Shahabuddin. This marks the inaugural sitting since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024.

Tarique Rahman, elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time, is attending the session as Prime Minister and Leader of the House. For him, this is a historic moment—becoming the second generation from Ziaur Rahman’s family to serve as head of government after his mother, Khaleda Zia, who first entered Parliament and became Prime Minister in 1991.

Born on 20 November 1965, Tarique Rahman became active in street movements alongside his mother in the 1990s. He joined BNP as an ordinary member from Gabtali upazila unit in Bogura in 1988. He played a key role in organizing grassroots support and contributing to the fall of the Ershad regime.

In the 2001 general election, the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance won a two-thirds majority. Tarique was instrumental behind the scenes in election strategy, candidate nomination, and cabinet formation. From 2001 to 2006, during the BNP-led government, he focused on union-level party organization through conferences. In 2002, the Standing Committee appointed him Senior Joint Secretary General in recognition of his organizational contributions.

In 2007, ahead of the ninth parliamentary election, he was nominated from a Bogura seat and won uncontested. However, the military-backed caretaker government cancelled the polls. Accused in corruption cases, he was imprisoned for 18 months before being released in 2008 and moving to London. In 2009, he was elected Senior Vice Chairman at BNP’s London council and led the party’s reorganization efforts.

After 17 years in exile, Tarique returned to Bangladesh on 25 December last year and began fulfilling his parliamentary and party responsibilities. Today’s session holds special significance for him—not only as the start of his official duties as Prime Minister but also as the beginning of a new chapter in leadership and parliamentary proceedings.