Staff correspondent
The MPs-elect of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance will take oath from the new Jatiya Sangsad speaker who will be elected in the first sitting of the ninth parliament. They will also participate in the proceedings of the first session of the new parliament.
The MPs-elect of BNP took the decision at a meeting at the party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office Wednesday evening. Khaleda presided over the two and a half hours meeting attended by all 27 MPs-elect of the party.
The president, Iajuddin Ahmed, is expected to summon the new parliament by this month.
‘We have decided to take oath at the beginning of the first session of the new parliament,’ Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, an MP-elect, told a press briefing after the meeting. ‘The new speaker is likely to administer the oath.’
He said the meeting also decided that the party’s MPs-elect would join the first session of the parliament. ‘Although there are hindrances and concerns, we have decided to join the parliament to uphold democratic and constitutional continuity for greater interests of the country and the people.’
‘We will do whatever we think is necessary to ensure lawful and parliamentary accountability of the new government from the beginning,’ he said adding, ‘The prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said that they will be liberal in accommodating views of the opposition bench in the parliament. We hope her commitment will be reflected in the activities of the government within and outside parliament.’
When asked whether the meeting had taken any decision on appointment of the new deputy speaker from BNP, he said the ruling Awami League did not make any proposal in this regard. ‘It was not discussed in the meeting as they [Awami League] are yet to place any proposal for appointing the deputy speaker from the opposition.’
When asked about the idea of incorporating representatives of the opposition in the cabinet, he put it bluntly: ‘The BNP does not want to be a part of “BKSAL”.’
The lawmakers-elect will have to take oath from the new speaker within 90 days of the first sitting of the first session of the ninth parliament, according to the constitution.
The 27 BNP candidates won 29 out of 299 constituencies in the December 29 general elections. Khaleda, who won three seats, will leave two seats for by-elections before taking oath for a constituency.
Two MPs-elect of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the lone MP-elect of Bangladesh Jatiya Party will also take oath from the new speaker, according to sources in respective parties.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
