Bangladesh’s 13th parliament opened amid sharp political tensions on Thursday as opposition lawmakers walked out during President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s address, exposing deep divisions between the government and opposition from the outset.
The session began around 11am with newly elected lawmakers taking their seats.
Tensions rose when the president began his address, prompting members of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party to stage a protest.
Opposition lawmakers shouted slogans and held placards describing the president as a “murderer” and “fascist Chuppu”.
The protest disrupted proceedings and opposition members walked out before the speech ended.
Analysts said the incident reflected Bangladesh’s persistent political polarisation and the early positioning of both government and opposition in the new parliament.
University of Dhaka Political Science Professor Mamun Al Mostafa said the walkout should be seen within the normal dynamics of parliamentary politics.
“It is a constitutional process,” he said.
“The opposition decides which issues it wants to highlight politically and where it will cooperate with the government or oppose it.”
He said the president’s address in parliamentary systems usually reflects the government’s policy agenda rather than the personal views of the head of state.
“The government uses parliament to implement its policies, while the opposition presents alternative views for the public to judge,” Mostafa said.
Political analyst Professor Dilara Choudhury, however, described the address as deeply disappointing and supported the opposition’s walkout.
She criticised the speech for failing to acknowledge what she described as the human cost of recent political events.
“1,300 to 1,400 children have lost their lives in the July mass uprising — does that mean nothing?” she said.
“It feels like we have gone back to square one.”
Observers said the opening sitting highlighted the continuing tensions that shape Bangladesh’s parliamentary politics.
While the government focused on formal proceedings and the president’s address, the opposition used the session to signal dissatisfaction with governance and policy priorities.
Analysts noted that parliamentary systems provide structured space for debate, protest and negotiation, and that walkouts are a recognised tactic used by opposition parties.
Despite the disruption, the session continued and the president delivered his address to a chamber noticeably emptier than usual.
Opposition leaders Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Nahid Islam and Hasnat Abdullah had earlier demanded the president’s resignation and impeachment, reflecting the intensity of the political confrontation.
Mostafa said such confrontations are part of the democratic process.
“In a parliamentary democracy, the opposition decides which issues to highlight, when to cooperate and when to resist,” he said.
The opening sitting of the 13th parliament therefore offered an early glimpse of the political dynamics likely to shape the new legislature, marked by both procedural continuity and persistent rivalry between the government and opposition.
