The 13th Parliament began its first session in a largely calm atmosphere on Thursday, with lawmakers from both the government and opposition promising to build a democratic “new Bangladesh”.
But the historic sitting — seen as the beginning of a participatory parliament after years of political turmoil — ended in a tense confrontation and walkout by opposition lawmakers during the president’s address.
The first seven items on the day’s agenda were conducted peacefully, but the final item — President Mohammad Shahabuddin’s speech — triggered protests from opposition alliance members, who displayed placards and eventually walked out of the chamber.
Despite the disruption, the opening session offered a glimpse of the new political landscape emerging after last year’s mass uprising that brought down the Awami League government.
A calm start
The first sitting of the 13th Parliament began shortly after 11am with a recitation from the Holy Quran.
At the start of proceedings, the secretary of the parliament secretariat, Kaniz Moula, drew the attention of Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman regarding the nomination of a presiding member to conduct the first session.
In his brief opening remarks, Tarique recalled the repression carried out during the era of the “fallen authoritarian regime” and paid tribute to those killed during movements to restore democracy.
He also expressed sympathy for the injured and the families affected during the political struggles.
“Under special circumstances, we are about to begin the activities of Parliament with representatives elected by the people’s vote,” Tarique, a first-time MP, told the chamber.
He noted that following the fall of the previous government, the speaker had resigned while the deputy speaker remained imprisoned in a criminal case. Under constitutional provisions and parliamentary rules, the leader of the house proposed that senior BNP standing committee member and five-time lawmaker Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain preside over the first sitting.
Tarique said such an arrangement was not unprecedented. In 1973, during the tenure of then prime minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish had presided over the first parliamentary sitting under special circumstances.
The proposal received unanimous support from lawmakers.
However, opposition deputy leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher remarked that although his party supported Mosharraf Hossain — whom he described as a respected and senior figure — it would have been preferable if the prime minister had consulted the opposition beforehand.
Mosharraf Hossain subsequently assumed the role of presiding officer.
Opposition silent in speaker vote
The chamber then moved to the election of the speaker and deputy speaker.
Prime Minister Rahman proposed valiant freedom fighter Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, the member of parliament from Bhola-3, as speaker and Kaiser Kamal, MP from Netrokona-1, as deputy speaker.
Both candidates were approved by voice vote from the ruling party’s majority members.
However, opposition lawmakers neither voted in favour nor against the proposals, maintaining what appeared to be a deliberate silence.
Earlier, the government had offered to appoint a deputy speaker from the opposition. But Jamaat-e-Islami declined the offer.
Party leaders said they would only accept the position once the full implementation of the “July Charter” — a set of demands linked to last year’s uprising — had been completed.
They insisted that partial implementation would not be acceptable.
After the election, President Mohammad Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to the newly elected speaker and deputy speaker at his office in Parliament. The speaker then assumed his role and presided over the remainder of the session.
Mourning motion expanded
Under the new speaker’s chairmanship, Parliament adopted a condolence motion remembering those who had died in recent years.
The motion initially included former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, deceased lawmakers, national leaders and those killed during the July uprising.
Lawmakers offered prayers seeking forgiveness for the departed souls.
Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman and deputy leader Abdullah Mohammad Taher then requested that the names of seven former senior Jamaat leaders and Sharif Osman Hadi be added to the motion.
The speaker accepted the request.
Most of the seven Jamaat leaders had previously been convicted in war crimes trials.
Opposition chief whip Nahid Islam also proposed including the names of former BUET student Abrar Fahad and Felani Khatun — a Bangladeshi teenager killed by the Indian Border Security Force at the border.
Their names were also accepted in the condolence motion.
Five parliamentary committees formed
Parliament also formed five committees on its opening day, including the business advisory committee.
The names of the members were announced during the session and approved by voice vote from both government and opposition lawmakers.
Law minister Md Asaduzzaman also placed 133 ordinances issued during the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus before the Parliament.
Protest during president’s speech
The session remained calm until the final item on the agenda.
At around 3:30pm, the speaker announced the arrival of President Mohammad Shahabuddin.
As the president entered the chamber to the sound of ceremonial bugles, opposition lawmakers began protesting while holding placards.
Some of the placards read: “No betrayal of July” and “We want democracy, not fascism”.
Members of the opposition alliance, including NCP lawmakers Hasnat Abdullah and Abdullah Al Amin and Jamaat leader Rafiqul Islam Khan, were seen moving towards the dais where the president stood, creating a tense moment in the chamber.
After a brief stalemate, the president began delivering his speech.
Opposition lawmakers later staged a walkout from the chamber.
Opposition criticism
Speaking to journalists outside Parliament, opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman accused the president of betraying the sacrifices made during the July uprising.
“We cannot accept the speech of someone who has betrayed the blood of the martyrs of the July movement,” he said. “His hands are stained with blood.”
NCP convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam said the walkout was staged because of objections to the president’s speech.
“This parliament stands on the blood of thousands of martyrs,” he said. “We want it to remain free from fascism and its collaborators.”
Despite the protest, the president’s address acknowledged the July uprising and described it as justified while also highlighting what he called the misrule of the former Awami League government.
Questions raised
The day’s events also prompted questions from political observers.
Some noted that several members of the opposition alliance had themselves taken the oath of office as advisers to the interim government administered by the same president.
The home minister also questioned why those who had previously accepted the president’s authority — including taking oaths before him and implementing ordinances issued under his authority — were now rejecting his role.
Observers say the confrontation on the very first day of parliament has also raised broader questions about how parties promising a “new political order” will navigate institutional politics.
Pledge to rebuild democracy
Despite the tensions, leaders from both the ruling party and the opposition repeatedly spoke about building a democratic Bangladesh.
They also recalled what they described as years of repression under the former Awami League government and pledged that authoritarianism would not return.
For many lawmakers, the opening day symbolised both hope and uncertainty — the beginning of a new parliamentary chapter shaped by the sacrifices of the uprising but already marked by political rivalry.
