BNP Standing Committee Member and Dhaka-8 MP Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed joined a session of the 13th Parliament for the first time on Thursday after more than five months of medical treatment abroad.

He entered the Parliament chamber in a wheelchair shortly after 3:50pm.

Welcoming him, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said, “Honourable Member of Parliament Mirza Abbas Uddin has joined Parliament after five months. We welcome him.”

Lawmakers then welcomed Abbas by thumping their desks.

Earlier, Abbas performed his official duties at his office in Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban after returning to Bangladesh following more than five months of treatment in Singapore and Malaysia.

He returned to the country on Wednesday night, with thousands of BNP leaders and activists gathering at the airport to welcome him. Leaders and activists from his Dhaka-8 constituency and affiliated organisations were also present.

Abbas was elected MP from Dhaka-8 on the BNP ticket in the 13th parliamentary election held on February 12. He was later appointed the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs.

The BNP leader suddenly lost consciousness while having iftar on March 11, a day before the first session of the 13th Parliament began on March 12. He was admitted to Evercare Hospital later that night.

After undergoing brain surgery at the Dhaka hospital, he was flown to Singapore by air ambulance on March 15 for further treatment. He was later taken to Malaysia for physiotherapy.