Major Hafizuddin Ahmed Elected Speaker, Kayser Kamal as Deputy Speaker of 13th Jatiya Sangsad

The first session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) began today, Thursday (12 March), at 11:00 a.m., with Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain serving as the presiding member (সভাপতি) to oversee the opening formalities.

Appointed under Article 73(3) of the Constitution due to the vacant Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain called the session to order and presided over the initial proceedings, including the recitation from the Holy Quran that marked the start of the sitting.

Following the formal opening, the election of the Speaker took place. Major Hafizuddin Ahmed was elected as the Speaker of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.

The session continued with the election of the Deputy Speaker. Kayser Kamal was elected as Deputy Speaker.

Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman announced both results. President Mohammed Shahabuddin then administered the oaths of office to the newly elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

This is the first parliamentary session since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024. The BNP-led alliance holds a commanding majority with 209 seats, while Jamaat-e-Islami occupies the opposition bench with 68 seats.

The session will proceed with the President’s address to the House later today, followed by discussions on ordinances from the interim period and the motion of thanks on the President’s speech.