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SANGSAD BHABAN, April 1, 2026 (BSS) – Lawmakers today expressed their hopes to keep the Jatiya Sangsad lively in line with the historic achievements earned through the national election held on February 12 last.

Participating in the discussion on the president speech, they said there was no democratic practice during the fascist regime in the last seventeen years and the Jatiya Sangsad was stigmatized through holding ‘vote rigging’and now an opportunity has come after the 2024 change in power.

Even the lawmakers during the discussion also highlighted various issues including infrastructural needs in their respective areas alongside the implementation of the election manifestoes committed by the present government.

The first session of the 13th parliament began on March 12 with President Mohammed Shahabuddin delivering his address.

The Business Advisory Committee later fixed 50 hours for discussion on the speech. Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam moved the motion of thanks on the president’s address, which was seconded by Whip Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu.

Terming the present political situation as the historic achievement, BNP lawmaker Khairul Kabir Khokon from Narshingdi-1 said, “We want to make the Jatiya Sangsad lively and sovereign aiming to uphold the achievement.”

So, the lawmaker cautioned that none can further make this parliament stigmatized in future like the previous fascist government who had been elected without any vote and held the election at night.

Lauding the role of the present government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Khokon also ruling BNP joint secretary general said that it is a rare example that none of the government in the history of the country did not take such an initiative to fulfill the electoral commitment like the present one led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Taking part in the discussion, another BNP lawmaker Monwar Hossain from Magura-2, said the President deserves thanks as he had admitted in his speech in the parliament that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was the proclaimer of Independence.

The world ‘proclaimer of Independence’ had not been possible to use in the last seventeen years, said ruling party lawmaker Selim Bhuiyan from Cumilla-2, adding that the fascist government had erased the name of President Ziaur Rahman from the text books.

The lawmakers also paid rich tribute to the uncompromising leader and three times Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and also to the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives during the War of Independence in 1971 and the July uprising in 2024.

BNP lawmakers Mominul Huq from Chandpur-5, Amir Ejaj Khan from Khulna-1 and Shamim Kayser from Gaibandha-4 also took part in the discussion.