SANGSAD BHABAN, April 15, 2026 (BSS) - Lawmakers have said there is no scope to separate the Zia family from the history of Bangladesh.

The Zia family-like Former Shahid President Ziaur Rahman, former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and incumbent Prime Minister Tarique Rahman- is closely linked with the history of Bangladesh since independence. So the family could not be separated from the history of the nation, they said.

The lawmakers said this while taking part in the discussion on Thanks Giving Motion on President’s Speech in the Jatiya Sangsad in the House today with Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal in the chair.

Zia family has involvement with all political turning points of the country in 1971, 1975, 1990 and 2024, said ruling party lawmaker AKM Fazlul Huq Milon.

The lawmaker said if the contribution of the Zia family is ignored the history of Bangladesh will be meaningless and fabricated.

Regarding the implementation of the July Charter, Milon said the charter is not a rhetoric, but reflection of peoples’ aspiration.
 
The July charter will be implemented in line with the commitment expressed by the government but it should be implemented following a certain method.

Calling the opposition not to stage walk-out and raising debate in the house, he said the July movement was not created by a particular party, but it was a combined contribution of the mass people and the political parties. So, the opposition parties in the parliament should raise their voice under the system, not in the way of any undemocratic manner.

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

The Business Advisory Committee later fixed 50 hours for discussion on the speech. Chief Whip Nurul Islam moved the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, which was seconded by Whip Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu.

Even a total of 18 lawmakers took part in the discussion and they also highlighted various issues including infrastructural needs in their respective areas alongside the implementation of the election manifestoes committed by the present government.

Taking part in the discussion, opposition lawmaker M Kamal Hossain of Dhaka-5 said, BNP once introduced the referendum in 1977 by former President Ziaur Rahman while the ruling BNP is now ignoring the peoples mandate reflected in the referendum.

The July warriors have an expectation to reform the constitution, he said, adding that so, the government has to convene the constitution reform committee to fulfill the desire of the mass people.

Calling the opposition to enhance cooperation to the government, ruling party lawmaker Abdus Salam Azad of Munshiganj-2 said, ruling and opposition lawmakers can jointly help to build a prosperous country under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Terming the 16-page speech delivered by the President as timely, BNP lawmaker Fakruddin Ahmed said the President in his speech has exposed all the development programmes initiated by the present government, adding that even he also admitted killing and forcibly disappearance during the previous fascist regime. 

BNP lawmakers Faridul Kabir Talukder of Jamalpur-4, M Abu Sufian of Chattogram-9, Mohammad Lutfar Rahman of Tangail-4, Abul Kalam of Narayanganj-5, Jashim Uddin of Cumilla-5, Akhteruzzaman Mia of Dinajpur-4, M Hasan Rajib Prodhan of Lalmonirhat-1, Nurul Islam of Sunamganj-4, Abdul Manan of Brahmanbaria-5, Hamidur Rahman of Dhaka-7, MA Hannan of Brahmanbaria-1, opposition Jamaat Islami lawmakers Abdul Gafur of Kushtia-2, Abdus Sattar of Nilphamari-1, Rayhan Siraji of Rangpur-1 and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish lawmaker Said Uddin Ahmed Hanzala took part in the discussion.