I have returned to work for the people: Mirza Abbas

After being absent from parliamentary sessions for over five months due to illness, Mirza Abbas, MP for Dhaka-8 constituency, joined the National Parliament on Thursday for the first time. Upon entering the parliament chamber in a wheelchair, he said, "I have returned to the people, to work for the people and for Bangladesh."

Mirza Abbas, the Prime Minister's political adviser, entered the chamber around 3:50pm in a wheelchair. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed welcomed him, and fellow MPs greeted him by thumping their desks. As he was in a wheelchair, he could not sit in his designated seat in the front row; his wheelchair was placed in an empty space beside it.

After the Asr break, during the discussion on private members' resolutions, Deputy Speaker Kaisar Kamal gave Mirza Abbas the floor to speak. He spoke into the microphone of BNP Standing Committee member Amanullah Aman, who was seated in the front row.

At the outset, Mirza Abbas thanked and greeted his political colleagues. He said, "You may know, I have been undergoing treatment abroad for about five and a half months." He added that his treatment was still ongoing. "I am in rehab. It is only for your love that I had to come. My treatment is not yet complete."

Reflecting on his return to parliament after a long absence, Mirza Abbas said, "Honourable Speaker, today is an extremely emotional and memorable day in my political life. After nearly two decades since 2006, I have again got the opportunity to speak in this sacred chamber of the great National Parliament as a member. What could be a more joyful and proud moment than this?"

Mirza Abbas was elected from Dhaka-8 constituency in the 13th parliamentary elections on February 12, securing 59,366 votes. His nearest rival, Muhammad Nasiruddin Patwari of the National Citizen Party, received 54,127 votes, with a margin of 5,239.

On February 17, Mirza Abbas took his oath along with other newly elected MPs. The same day, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman appointed him as an adviser with the rank of minister. He was later given the responsibility of the Prime Minister's political adviser.

However, he fell seriously ill the day before the first session of parliament began. On March 11, he suddenly lost consciousness during Iftar and was taken to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. He underwent brain surgery on March 13, and was airlifted to Singapore General Hospital on March 15.

The first session of the 13th parliament began on March 12. Mirza Abbas could not attend previous sessions due to his hospitalisation and subsequent treatment abroad. He also could not cast his vote in the presidential election held on August 20.

He expressed gratitude to the President, Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister's Office for regularly inquiring about his health during his illness. Recalling that Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed had visited him in Singapore, Mirza Abbas said, "Honourable Speaker, you yourself went to Singapore to see me. Although I did not see you—I was unconscious then—I later came to know."

Describing the Speaker's role as a "humane gesture" in parliamentary politics, he said, "Returning to the great parliament today, I feel that national politics is not just about disagreements; politics is for people. Parliament is not just for us; it is a reflection of people's hopes and aspirations."

Mirza Abbas also spoke of his desire to work again for the people of his constituency. He said, "I pray to Allah that He grants me health and strength so that I can spend the rest of my life working in politics and public service with more dedication and honesty for the people of my constituency and the people of Bangladesh."

After his treatment in Singapore, Mirza Abbas was taken to the Prince Court Medical Centre in Malaysia on April 14, where he underwent physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Acting on doctors' advice, he returned to the country on Wednesday night and joined the parliament the very next day.

Thanking his fellow MPs and the people of the country, Mirza Abbas said, "Please pray that I can spend the rest of my time working for the country, alongside the people."

Mirza Abbas was previously elected MP from Dhaka-6 in 1991 and 2001. He served as the Minister of Housing and Public Works in the BNP government from 2001 to 2006. He has also served as the mayor of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation.