Bangladesh’s newly-elected 13th Parliament opened its first session on Thursday, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman calling for nationwide support and cross-party cooperation to advance the country’s development goals. Addressing lawmakers and citizens, Rahman emphasized building a self-reliant, prosperous, secure, and democratic Bangladesh.

“Our political goal is to make every family self-reliant. Through making every family self-reliant, the BNP wants to establish a self-reliant, prosperous, secure, and democratic Bangladesh,” Rahman said in his welcome speech, as quoted by local media outlet UNB. He stressed that achieving this vision would require the cooperation of people across the country, as well as elected Members of Parliament from all political parties.

Rahman urged MPs to ensure that the 13th National Parliament functions effectively through constructive debates and engagement, describing the House as a platform to serve the people. “This is the Parliament of the people of Bangladesh… independence and democracy-loving citizens of the country are looking to this Parliament with hope and expectation,” he said, congratulating newly elected Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal. He emphasized that both positions transcend party affiliation and called on all MPs to be “guardians of this Parliament.”

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The Prime Minister further noted that parliamentary debates should focus on reasoned discussion rather than opposition for its own sake. “In the interest of the people, we want to make this Parliament meaningful. We should not oppose anything for the sake of opposition. Rather, through reasoned discussion and debate, we want to make this House vibrant and effective,” he added.

However, the session faced an early setback when opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in protest against Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s constitutionally mandated speech marking the start of the session. While the Prime Minister and ruling party MPs rose to welcome the President, opposition members remained seated, signaling their protest.

The incident underscores the challenges ahead for the smooth functioning of the House and highlights tensions between the ruling party and opposition. Despite the initial friction, Rahman’s appeal for cooperation signals the government’s intent to prioritize national development and parliamentary engagement over partisan conflict.

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