President to Address First Parliament Session Following Constitution: Home Minister

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Bangladesh Secretariat, the Minister addressed a recent formal request by a Supreme Court lawyer to prevent President Md. Sahabuddin from speaking, citing the 'spirit' of the July uprising. Despite proposals for the Speaker to lead the session instead, the Minister emphasized that according to current constitutional provisions and long-standing parliamentary traditions, the President must address the first session of a new parliament.

Minister Ahmed further clarified that while the government respects freedom of speech and the right to submit petitions, it cannot implement measures that fall outside the current legal framework. "We cannot raise anything in Parliament that is not supported by the Constitution," he stated, adding that any changes to this practice would require formal constitutional reforms. Furthermore, he mentioned that the opposition has been verbally requested to nominate a Deputy Speaker in honor of the 'July Charter.' He noted that while a Constitution Reform Commission could be established for future amendments, the upcoming session will proceed under the existing laws.