Major (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikram) has resigned from the BNP Standing Committee after being elected Speaker of the 13th National Parliament.
He announced the decision at the beginning of the parliament’s first session on Thursday (March 12). Earlier in the day, he was elected Speaker during the session that began at 11:00 am.
Hafiz Uddin said the Speaker’s position requires political neutrality. “To maintain neutrality, I have already resigned from the BNP Standing Committee,” he told the House.
Senior BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain proposed Hafiz Uddin’s name for the position during the session. The proposal was supported by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Jamaat-e-Islami MP Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher. Following the proposal, Mosharraf Hossain announced the names of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
The session was presided over by senior lawmaker Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain. Members of parliament unanimously selected him to chair the session in the absence of Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku.
Earlier, on February 17, Hafiz Uddin took oath as Minister for Liberation War Affairs.
Hafiz Uddin previously served as Minister for Water Resources, Minister for Commerce, and Minister for Jute. The BNP leader is also known for his past as a footballer who represented both the Pakistan and Bangladesh national football teams.
