Stuart James, Political Officer at the US Embassy, paid a courtesy call on the Chief Whip of the Bangladesh National Parliament, Md Nurul Islam Moni, on Monday afternoon.
The meeting, held at the chief whip’s office in the National Parliament Building, involved detailed discussions regarding the ongoing budget session, parliamentary activities, and the proposed formation of a Bangladesh-US Parliamentary Caucus.
During the dialogue, the chief whip remarked that the government is working relentlessly to ensure the optimum and fair utilisation of the country’s limited resources.
He stated that the government’s primary objective is to improve the people’s standard of living and ensure sustainable development through the implementation of the budget.
Nurul Islam Moni further noted that an effective parliament has been formed following 17 years of democratic movement and struggle, reflecting the aspirations of the people.
He highlighted that 260 new members have been elected to the 13th National Parliament, and this marks their first budget session. These new members are working sincerely to master parliamentary norms and the rules of procedure.
He also observed that public interest in parliamentary activities, which was previously low, has increased as citizens now regularly follow the sessions – a development he described as highly positive for democratic practice.
Stuart James observed that a long-standing friendly and cooperative relationship exists between Bangladesh and the United States.
He noted that the formation of a Bangladesh-US Parliamentary Caucus would further strengthen communication, the exchange of experiences, and mutual cooperation between the lawmakers of the two countries.
He also highly commended the chief whip’s role in establishing an effective and accountable parliament for the citizens.
Officials from the US Embassy in Bangladesh and relevant officials from the Parliament Secretariat were also present during the meeting.
