Gazette names Rawshan as Leader of the Opposition
M Ershad, as the Leader of the Opposition of the 10th parliament. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered the oath of Ershad, who was elected an MP from Rangpur-3 constituency in January 5 polls. The oath taking ceremony took place at the Speaker’s room in parliament amid an unusual secrecy, sources said. Two Jatiya Party MPs, Kazi Firoz Rashid and Nasim Osman confirmed the oath taking of Ershad.
According to sources, Ershad arrived at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises at about 11:30am by a car and entered the parliament using the passage used normally by the president and the prime minister. He then reached the Speaker’s room using a special lift that is used only by the Speaker.
After completion his oath taking at around 12:15, Ershad was taken back to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), where he is staying for about one month.
JP MPs Rashid and Osman said the party chief may return to his residence anytime from the hospital.
A total of 33 JP candidates were elected MPs of the 10th parliament. Of them, 20 were elected unopposed.
Except Ershad and Nasim Osman, all other elected JP candidates led by Rawshan Ershad took oath on Thursday.
Earlier, on November 18, five ministers, two state ministers and an adviser to the Prime Minister from Jatiya Party took oaths to supervise the next general election. On December 3, Ershad announced that his party would boycott the 10th Parliamentary election. Ershad was taken to the CMH on December 12 by members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and admitted there for treatment. Amid contradictory statements from the leadership, some leaders of the Jatiya Party contested the 10th parliamentary polls held on January 5.
Courtesy of The Independent
