Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday urged opposition MPs to work together with the government to make parliament effective and successful, warning that any failure of the House would ultimately harm Bangladesh and its people.

“I would like to urge everyone: let us debate, argue, engage in dialogue and discussion, and sit together and talk—but under no circumstances should we allow this parliament to fail,” he told parliament taking part in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President’s speech.

It was also his winding-up speech for the first session of the 13th parliament.

The Prime Minister said the country has begun its parliamentary journey with a debt burden of Tk 30 lakh crore, stressing that without a stable government and a stable parliament, Bangladesh cannot move forward.

“We cannot take this country forward unless we maintain a stable government and ensure a stable parliament. Parliament must not be allowed to become ineffective,” he said.

The Prime Minister reminded the House that hartal was enforced for 173 days in the past to make the then BNP government fail, which caused significant damage to the country, noting that the impact of that prolonged shutdown is still being felt, with the country continuing to bear its brunt for years and even decades.

“After independence in 1971, if we compare our country by development standards, we see that many countries which gained independence in 1972-73 have moved ahead of us. Why have we not been able to do so? Because, in many ways, democracy in this country has been obstructed,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said whenever democracy has been obstructed, the economy, education, healthcare and all other sectors have been affected.

He agreed with the opposition leader’s view that the success of parliament reflects the success of the whole country. “This parliament means the entire Bangladesh. Its success means a prosperous future for the nation.”

The Prime Minister noted that in a parliamentary democracy, one party remains in government while another stays in opposition, and both sides share responsibility for making the system work.

“I have said time and again that the government formed through this parliament must endure and succeed, as its success means moving towards prosperity. I believe this is a unique parliament, unlike any Bangladesh has had in the past,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said his government wants to work together with the opposition in the interest of the country and its people.

“Let us, on both sides, not seek to make each other fail. You and I together make a complete parliament. So, if you fail, I fail; if I fail, you fail. We must remember this. And if any one of us fails, Bangladesh will fail. None of us wants to see a failed Bangladesh,” he said.

The Prime Minister said just as post-1971 Bangladesh was built on the blood of martyrs, the present-day Bangladesh and its parliament also stand on the sacrifices of thousands of martyrs.

On the final day of the session, he reaffirmed the government’s willingness to engage in dialogue with the opposition at any time in the interest of the country.

“We are always ready to sit with the opposition and discuss any issue concerning Bangladesh and its people. Through dialogue, we can move the country forward together and fulfil the expectations of our people. We will do our utmost to fulfil the expectations of the people of this country,” Tarique Rahman said.

He defended the government’s move to provide family cards, farmers’ cards and other such support, describing the initiative as an investment and saying it would strengthen the rural economy.

As the opposition leader raised some problems in his constituency, the Leader of the House said he had already instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to address those.

Referring to the responsibilities of the Leader of the House, he described the role of presiding over parliament as a difficult one, saying it may appear comfortable but is, in fact, highly challenging.

“I could stand up from this chair and deliver many popular speeches that would receive louder applause. But this chair tells me that I cannot always speak to please everyone as I must say what is necessary. As a politician, I also feel like speaking popular words just to get loud applause. But this chair constantly reminds me: you have to take the right decision, not the popular decision,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the final day of the session marked an important moment and urged members to focus on future discussions aimed at resolving key national issues.

Tarique Rahman mentioned the electricity shortage, employment generation both at home and abroad, and improving access to education and healthcare as priority areas for discussion in upcoming sessions.

He also highlighted government initiatives such as family cards, farmers' cards, school uniform and bag distribution for primary students, canal excavation programmes, and health services, saying these were part of fulfilling election commitments and explaining how funding had been arranged for them.

The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s proposal to allocate the Deputy Speaker post to the opposition.

He said the entire country is looking towards parliament for a better and prosperous future, stressing the importance of working together despite differences.

Tarique Rahman said misunderstandings may occur but cooperation must continue in the national interest.

At the end of the session, he thanked the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Leader of the Opposition, MPs from both sides, parliamentary staff, media, armed forces and law enforcement agencies for their role in successfully conducting the session.

The Prime Minister also praised the role of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies in maintaining order following the August 5 student-public uprising.

Concluding his speech, he urged lawmakers to protect the dignity of parliament, saying members must respect the responsibility and trust placed on them by the people.

Following his speech, MPs from both sides of the House thumped their desks in appreciation.

The Leader of the House began his speech at 8:20pm and concluded at 9:10pm.

After the discussion, the thanksgiving motion on the President's speech was passed by voice vote in the House.

Later, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad read out the prorogation order of the President.

The parliament went into its maiden session on March 12, when the President delivered his speech at the beginning of the session.