Bangladesh’s progress will be meaningful only when people at the margins of society find their own voice in the decisions of the state. Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, has been working diligently to reflect the left-behind voices in policy discussions for the past decade. Following this trajectory, Citizen’s Platform proposed the formation of an all-party parliamentary caucus for underprivileged communities in the national parliament.

In response to this proposal, the 25-member “All-Party Parliamentary Caucus for the Underprivileged Communities” was formed (on 28 October 2026) by the decision of the Hon’ble Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament. Citizen’s Platform will serve as the Secretariat of the Caucus.

Hon’ble Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament, Mr Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram, MP, will be the Chief Patron of the Caucus and the Hon’ble Deputy Speaker, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, MP, will be the Patron of the Caucus.

Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin, MP (Noakhali-1), will serve as the Chairperson of the Caucus and Mr Md. Saiful Alam, MP (Dhaka-12), will be the Co-Chair.

Other members of the Caucus include:

  • Mr Md. Abdus Salam Pintu, MP (Tangail-2)
  • Mr A K M Fazlul Haque Milan, MP (Gazipur-5)
  • Ms Esrat Sultana Elen Bhutto, MP (Jhalokathi-2)
  • Mr Mohammad Nurul Islam, MP (Bhola-4)
  • Mr Md. Mustafizur Rahman Babul, MP (Jamalpur-3)
  • Ms Tahsina Rushdir, MP (Sylhet-2)
  • Mr Md. Mazibur Rahman, MP (Gazipur-1)
  • Mr Md. Shahadat Hossain, MP (Laxmipur-1)
  • Mr Md. Fazley Houda, MP (Naogaon-3)
  • Mr Masood Sayedee, MP (Pirojpur-1)
  • Dr Md. Elias Molla, MP (Faridpur-1)
  • Mr Abdullah Al Amin, MP (Narayanganj-4)
  • Mr Md. Oli Ullah, MP (Barguna-1)
  • Ms Sherin Sultana, MP (Women Seat-2)
  • Ms Salina Sultana, MP (Women Seat-35)
  • Ms Anna Mini, MP (Women Seat-19)
  • Ms Mahmuda Habiba, MP (Women Seat-13)
  • Ms Madhabi Marma, MP (Women Seat-34)
  • Ms Mardia Mumtaz, MP (Women Seat-44)
  • Ms Subikunnahar, MP (Women Seat-39)
  • Ms Mahmuda Alam Mitu, MP (Women Seat-46)
  • Ms Tasmia Prodhan, MP (Women Seat-47)
  • Ms Sultana Jesmen, MP (Women Seat-49)

The formal launch and public session of the Caucus took place on November 12, 2026, in Dhaka. At the launch, members of the Caucus shared their views and expressed their commitment towards the Caucus. Members unanimously adopted and signed a Declaration of Intent at the event.

As Chief Guest and the Chief Patron of the Caucus, Mr Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram, MP, Hon’ble Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament, noted that politicians bear the primary responsibility for societal disparities. He emphasised that a genuinely elected democratic parliament allows citizens to hold representatives accountable. Expressing strong optimism, he anticipated that this Caucus will bring positive changes to our laws and drive inclusive policy-making.

Mr Nurul Islam Moni, MP, Hon’ble Chief Whip of the Bangladesh Parliament, was the Special Guest of the event. In his remarks, he noted that the core objective of forming this Caucus was to rise above partisan differences and work collectively for the rights, opportunities, and quality of life of marginalised communities. Furthermore, he emphasised the necessity of engaging representatives of other political forces alongside the country’s major political parties in this initiative.

As Guest of Honour, Mr Md. Saiful Alam, MP, Member and Vice-President of the Caucus, noted that underprivileged status should be evaluated across core benchmarks, e.g. education, health, housing, and food, regardless of religion or community.

Chairing the event, Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokon, MP, Head of the Caucus, observed that this historic all-party initiative marks a major turning point for the nation. He further noted that the Caucus will focus on addressing multidimensional deprivations across various regions and communities to ensure that marginalised people are properly represented and supported.

An open-floor discussion was also held, featuring active participation and valuable interventions from marginalised women, religious minorities, garment workers, migrant workers, the Hijra and trans community, youth representatives, Urdu-speaking communities, indigenous peoples (from both hills and plains), Dalit community representatives, children, and climate-vulnerable individuals. They voiced their rights to security, social safety nets, and the opportunity to participate and be represented in Parliament.

The event was Members of Parliament, whips, Civil Society Organisation (CSO) and Community-Based Organisation (CBO) representatives, Business Leaders, Political Activists, various other stakeholders, and media personnel also attended the event.

In his closing remarks, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, on behalf of the secretariat of the Caucus, expressed hope that the Caucus will play a robust role in enacting laws for marginalised populations, raising urgent public issues in parliament, ensuring the effective execution of existing laws, and securing proper allocations in upcoming budgets. He further noted his vision that the Caucus will serve as a vital catalyst bridging left-behind communities and the policymakers.

The event concluded with the commitment to work collectively towards a just, humane and inclusive Bangladesh.

The event was streamed live on the Facebook and YouTube pages of Citizen’s Platform.