Ershad oath likely today
Members of Parliament elected in the January 5 general election were sworn in on Thursday. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury administered the oath to 284 lawmakers of the 10th Parliament in the oath room of Jatiya Sangsad in the morning. ive lawmakers, including Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, could not take the oath. The Speaker first administered the oath to 224 lawmakers of the ruling Awami League and Jatiya Party (Manju), including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and JP (Manju) chief Anwar Hossain Manju at 10:15am. In the second phase, 31 MPs of the Opposition Jatiya Party, including Leader of the Opposition Rawshan Ershad, took oath at about 11:15am.
JP chairman HM Ershad, who is now undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), did not come to Parliament to take oath. He is likely to be sworn in tomorrow or the day after, party sources said.
In the third phase, the Speaker administered the oath to 12 MPs, six of the Workers’ Party, including its president Rashed Khan Menon, four of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), including its president Hasanul Haque Inu, and one each from the Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) and the Torikat Federation.
In the fourth phase, 17 MPs, three of the AL and 14 Independents, were sworn in.
The secretary of the Parliament Secretariat, Md Ashraful Maqbul, conducted the swearing-in ceremony which started with recitation from the holy Quran. After taking the oath, the lawmakers signed the oath papers for their respective constituencies and took photographs. The lawmakers pledged to discharge their duties rising above personnel interests.
On Wednesday, the Election Commission published a gazette notification of 290 constituencies out of the total 300 seats.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Nazmul Hasan Papon of AL, Nasim Osman of the Jatiya Party and Moinuddin Khan Badal, among others, did not take the oath on Thursday. Talking to reporters, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury said those who could not be sworn in would be able to do so within a month or take more time if they can cite proper reason.
Replying to a question about the absence of the BNP in the new Parliament, the Speaker said the situation is different since the BNP did not participate in the election.
According to her, the first session of Parliament will be summoned after formation of the new government. “Notice allowing 15 days’ time will be served for it,” she added.
The Prime Minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, elected from two constituencies, took the oath as lawmaker of Gopalganj-3 constituency. Earlier, she relinquished the Rangpur-6 seat.
The results of Jessore-1 and Jessore- 2 have been withheld as the EC has filed cases against the MPs elected from those constituencies for allegedly violating the election code of conduct. The EC has decided to hold re-election in some polling centres of eight constituencies on January 16.
Out of the 292 constituencies, the ruling AL won in 232, Jatiya Party 33, Workers’ Party six, JSD five, and the Jatiya Party (Manju), Torikat Federation and the BNF one each. Besides, Independent candidates won in 13 seats.
Courtesy of The Independent
