Parliament witnesses history as treasury bench motion accepted for first time in 53-year

The 13th national parliament history witnessed a rare development on Tuesday as a motion submitted by a treasury bench member�"representing the ruling party�"was accepted for discussion for the first time in 53 years.

Parliament member Zainul Abedin Chowdhury formally placed the motion during the session on April 1, after which Speaker Hafizuddin Ahmed designated a future date for debate.

Announcing the motion under Rule 62 of the Rules of Procedure, Zainul Abedin Chowdhury said that after 17 years of struggle and sacrifice, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance has brought the fruits of the July-August uprising in the form of the July National Charter, which he described as a roadmap for the nation’s future. 

He emphasized that the charter is primarily a political consensus document outlining specific proposals for constitutional amendments and reforms to existing laws.

He stressed the urgent need for detailed discussion in the current parliament on the actual implementation method of the July National Charter 2025 before any formal action is taken. He then formally sought permission to table the motion.

Accepting the motion, Speaker Hafizuddin Ahmed said it was highly significant and, in accordance with Rule 65(2) of the Rules of Procedure, granted permission for debate. 

Considering the parliament’s current workload, he scheduled more than two hours of discussion on the motion as the final item on the agenda for Sunday, April 5, 2026.

The speaker noted that in Bangladesh’s 53-year parliamentary history, this marks the first time a motion has been introduced by a member of the treasury bench. 
Detailed deliberations on the matter will take place on April 5.