President to deliver speech at 16th session starting today

The 16th session of the Jatiya Sangsad is sitting today. The assembly will start at 4:00pm. President M Abdul Hamid will give the speech at the first session of the year in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
The first session of the year, like the other sessions of the pandemic, will sit maintaining the health rules. Due to the ongoing new variant of coronavirus, strict health
    hygiene has to be maintained at the first session.
Earlier, the President convened a session of Parliament on January 1.
At the beginning of the first sitting of the Parliament, after the condolence motion and the nomination of the Presidium, the Speaker will call upon the President to address. The session will be adjourned after the President's address.After the adjournment, when the Parliament convenes again, a motion of thanks will be moved on the President's speech. Members of Parliament will discuss the proposal throughout the session.
On the first day of the session, all the lawmakers who got negative certificate in the Covid-19 examination will take part. They will then be informed to enter the Parliament House as per their list. The whips of the parliament have also made a list about this. Listed MPs must collect corona negative certificates before each meeting.
Government party whip Iqbalur Rahim said any member of parliament attending the meeting would have to undergo a coronavirus test. No additional staff will be kept in the parliament room in this session. Exactly how many will be kept according to what is needed. He said the session, which is set to begin, could last until mid-February.
Although these sessions generally are shorter during pandemic but the sessions at the beginning of the year are usually longer.
Meanwhile, all the officers and employees of the Parliament Secretariat have started going under coronavirus test. However, the number of employees of different branches has been reduced during the session.
Media personnel will be allowed to enter the Parliament House only on the first day to cover the session. That's why they were sampled for coronavirus testing on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Parliament Secretariat has made preparations for the arrival of the President. The movement has been restricted to various places including the President's Chamber, Gallery and the entrance.
According to custom, the President will enter the Legislative Assembly building through the North Plaza of Parliament, also known as 'President's Plaza'.
An official of the Parliament Secretariat said that every year the President is greeted with flowers. But this time it will not be done to follow the hygiene rules.
After entering the parliament building, the President will take a special elevator to the President's Chamber on the seventh floor. From there Abdul Hamid will go to the session room. If the speaker invites him, Bugle Fanfair will play. The national anthem will be played as per the rules when the President enters the Parliament.
The President will sit next to the Speaker. After the requests him to deliver his speech, the head of the state will address the parliament. The President will read out the summary of the speech fixed by the Cabinet in Parliament.
According to the concerned branch of the Parliament Secretariat, there are several laws to be enacted this time. Four new draft laws have been submitted to Parliament. These are Private Medical College and Dental College Bill, Bangladesh Tourism Corporation (Amendment) Bill, Trade Organization Bill and Payments and Settlements Bill. Besides, the previous seven bills are under examination in the parliamentary committee.