United News of Bangladesh

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs held its first meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Tuesday. Committee Chairman Md Monirul Haque Chowdhury presided over the meeting. Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan, State Minister Ishraq Hossain, and committee members Md Fazlur Rahman, Md Abdul Hannan, Amir Ejaz Khan and Rokeya Begum, all MPs, attended the meeting.  

The current parliament, formed through the February-12 election, will go into third session on August 27 after a 43-day recess following the prorogation of the second session. third session of the 13th Parliament will begin at 3pm on August 27 (Thursday), said Director (Public Relation) of the Parliament Secretariat Monir Hossain on Tuesday.The President has summoned the parliamentary session, exercising the powers vested in him under Article 72(1) of the Constitution. Earlier on July 15, the second (budget) session of the current parliament was prorogued after 27 working days. During the session, Parliament passed a Tk 9,38,000 crore national budget for 2026-27 fiscal year, which is the first budget under the current BNP government. The parliament passed a total of 11 bills and formed 11 parliamentary committees, including the Special Committee for Constitutional Amendment and nine parliamentary standing committees, during the session. The first session of the 13th Parliament commenced on March 12, 2026.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Industries held its first meeting on Thursday, underscoring the need for ensuring transparency, accountability and efficiency in implementing the ministry’s budget, while calling for the timely completion of development projects. The committee also stressed the proper utilisation of budget allocations, enhancing the competitiveness of the industrial sector, promoting entrepreneurship and improving the quality of public services through coordinated efforts by all agencies under the ministry. The meeting, held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, was chaired by committee chairman Md Abul Kalam. Members reviewed the organisational structure of the Ministry of Industries, the budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, expenditure plans and the progress of ongoing development activities. Officials informed the meeting that the ministry currently oversees 14 organisations, comprising four corporations, six departments and agencies, two boards and two foundations. These institutions play a key role in industrialisation, industrial management, quality control, technological advancement, skills development and the promotion of cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises (CMSMEs). During the budget presentation, the committee was told that the allocation for the Ministry of Industries for FY27 stands at Tk 1,691.90 crore. Of the total allocation, Tk 361.02 crore has been earmarked for operational expenditure, while Tk 1,330.88 crore for development expenditure. The operational budget includes allocations for the ministry’s secretariat, the Office of the Chief Inspector of Boilers, the Department of Patents, Industrial Designs and Trademarks (DPDT), the National Productivity Organisation (NPO), the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), the Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (BITAC), the Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) and the Bangladesh Accreditation Board. The committee also reviewed the progress, budget allocations and expenditure plans for ongoing development projects being implemented by the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), BSCIC, BITAC and the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI). The projects include the establishment of industrial parks and industrial estates, warehouse construction, technology modernisation, laboratory upgrades, expansion of training infrastructure and other initiatives aimed at strengthening the country’s industrial sector. The committee urged all organisations under the ministry to work in a coordinated manner to ensure effective implementation of the budget and development programmes.

The Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat on Saturday organised an essay competition to mark July Uprising Day 2026, with students highlighting the role of youth in shaping the country's future. With the theme of “the power of youth, the July Mass Uprising and the future of Bangladesh, the competition was held at the conference room of the North Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad complex with the participation of students  from Class IX to Class XI of several renowned schools and colleges in the capital. Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat Barrister Md Golam Sorwar Bhuiyan inaugurated the event and urged students to practise correct language, proper grammar and appropriate word choice.

Acting Speaker Barrister Kaysar Kamal and Nepal’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanshyam Bhandari on Wednesday expressed optimism that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) could be revitalised to advance the shared development goals of the region. The two leaders expressed the hope during Nepal Ambassador’s courtesy meeting at the Acting Speaker’s office at the Jatiya Sangsad. Kaysar Kamal said SAARC, founded on the vision of the late President Ziaur Rahman, still has the potential to play a meaningful role in promoting regional cooperation and development if member states work together to make the organisation functional again, said a press release. He called upon Nepal to take an active role in efforts to revitalise the regional bloc, a proposal that the Nepali envoy supported. Welcoming the formation of the Bangladesh-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group in Nepal’s Federal Parliament, the Acting Speaker thanked Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal for the initiative. He expressed hope that the Bangladesh National Parliament would soon establish a Bangladesh-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group to facilitate exchanges on issues of mutual interest.

A fire that broke out at an office of Public Works Department outside the main Parliament complex on Tuesday afternoon has been brought under control. The fire started at around 3:15pm at the office of the Executive Engineer of Public Works Department-1 of the complex, said a press release issued by the Parliament Secretariat. On receiving the news, members of the Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control within a short time. No casualty was reported in the incident and the cause of the fire could not be ascertained. Acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal and the Secretary of Parliament Secretariat visited the spot soon after being informed of the incident. The Acting Speaker directed the formation of an investigation committee to determine the actual cause of the fire, assess the extent of damage and make recommendations for preventing such incidents in the future. Details about the cause of the fire and other related matters will be made public after receiving the investigation committee's report, said the release signed by Director (Public Relation) of Parliament Secretariat Monir Hossain.

Speaker of Parliament Hafiz Uddin Ahmad,Bir Bikram, on Friday assumed the responsibilities of the acting President in accordance with the Constitution following the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin. President Shahabuddin submitted his resignation letter to the Speaker under Article 50(3) of the Constitution. Following the resignation, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikram, assumed the responsibilities of the President under Article 54 of the Constitution, according to a press release issued by the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat. Shahabuddin resigns as President citing ill health

Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal on Sunday sought technical and financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for implementing an e-Parliament initiative and strengthening parliamentary institutions. He made the request when a UNDP delegation, led by UNDP Bangladesh Deputy Resident Representative Sonali Dayaratne, paid a courtesy call on him at his office in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, according to a press release. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on Bangladesh’s parliamentary democracy and discussed possible initiatives to further strengthen parliamentary practices and legislative functions. Kayser Kamal said the present government is giving the highest priority to the education and health sectors.

The 2nd session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, which was the budget session, was prorogued on Wednesday after 26 working days. Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal, who was chairing the House, read out the prorogation order of the President at 6:55pm. During the session, Parliament passed a Tk 9,38,000 crore national budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, which is the first budget under the current BNP government formed following the February 12 national election. Earlier, the budget session started on June 7 and Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury placed the budget in the House on June 11. During the session, a total of 11 bills were passed, while 11 parliamentary committees, including the Special Committee for Constitutional Amendment and nine parliamentary standing committees, were constituted. The bills include the Narcotics Control (Amendment) Bill 2026, the Invest Bangladesh Bill 2026 and the Gambling Prevention Bill, 2026. A total of 278 questions were received for the Prime Minister while he answered 35 questions. The session received 5,031 questions for different ministries while the number of the answered questions was 3474.

Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Wednesday called upon the government to take stern actions against corruption and restore discipline in the financial sector, saying that no one, including lawmakers, should be spared if found involved in graft. "If this Parliament does not become a patron of corruption, I am absolutely confident that corruption will leave Bangladesh with touching its ears (entirely)," he said. The Opposition Leader said corruption cannot be eliminated if political patronage and favouritism continue. “Some blame bureaucrats, some blame businessmen and others blame politicians for corruption. I say the responsibility belongs to all of us. It is impossible to make any single sector corruption-free in isolation. It requires a coordinated effort," he said. Referring to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's earlier remarks that the government would "grab corruption by the throat," Shafiqur Rahman said the immediate priority should be to restrain corruption by "holding its hands." "We want the government to restrain corruption by grabbing its hands first. Handcuff it, and if necessary, keep a cross-shackle on its foot and lock its mouth and then finally grab its throat,” he said. “If anyone, including me or any member of this House, is involved in corruption, no one should be spared," said the opposition leader. Shafiqur also called for restoring discipline in the banking, insurance, corporate and capital market sectors, saying Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury had assured Parliament that restoring financial discipline was the government's top priority. "We want to see that commitment reflected everywhere—from this Parliament to the banking sector, insurance, corporations and the stock market," he said.. Expressing deep sorrow over the deaths caused by recent floods in four divisions, particularly in Chattogram, the opposition leader urged the Prime Minister and the finance minister to consider providing special financial assistance to the families of those killed. He thanked the government for allocating increased funds for the education and health sectors in the national budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The Jamaat-e-Islami chief also proposed appointing designated religious teachers at the primary school level, saying religious education should begin from the early stages of schooling. He called for ensuring equitable allocation of development funds for opposition lawmakers. "We want a balanced distribution of funds," he said, urging the government to ensure fairness in allocating resources regardless of party affiliation. Addressing the Speaker, Shafiqur expressed hope that he would continue to conduct the House firmly and impartially while ensuring strict adherence to the Rules of Procedure. He recalled that on the first day of the Parliament, opposition members had called for breaking away from the negative political culture of the past. "We said we would criticise the government, but within the grammar of Parliament. Alhamdulillah, I am pleased and partially convinced that there has been considerable improvement, though some negative practices still remain. I hope those will also disappear," he said. The opposition leader also thanked the Prime Minister for announcing that the July Memorial Museum would be opened on August 5 and urged the government to ensure that the significance of the July movement is preserved prominently in the pages of the nation's history.