Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday called for making the 13th National Parliament meaningful, effective and vibrant through debates and constructive discussions.

“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 in his brief address after the election of the new the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.

Congratulating the new Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, Tarique said the duo no longer belongs to any party and all elected members will be treated equally by them from now on. “You are the guardians of this Parliament.”

“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 said.

The Prime Minister said the Speaker and Deputy Speaker have a greater role and assured them of highest cooperation from the treasury bench in running the parliament.

PM seeks support from people, MPs to build self-reliant Bangladesh

Earlier, senior BNP parliamentarian Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Barrister Kayser Kamal were unanimously elected as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament on Thursday.

At the outset of the maiden session of the newly formed Parliament, MPs first elected Hafiz Uddin, a six-time parliamentarian and Liberation War Affairs Minister in the new cabinet, as the Speaker of the 13th Parliament, followed by first-time MP Kayser Kamal as Deputy Speaker.

Following their elections, the first sitting of the session went into a 30-minute break to allow the newly elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker to take their oaths, which were administered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

Earlier at 11:05am, the maiden session of the 13th Parliament started with the Speaker’s chair vacant, as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament are currently unavailable.