As Bangladesh gears up for a political shift, newly elected members of parliament from various alliances and independent candidates swore their oaths at the National Parliament in Dhaka. The Chief Election Commissioner administered the oath in line with the country’s Constitution. Notably, two sentences of the oath were reportedly finalized after consultation with Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman.
Reports indicate that six MPs from the National Citizen Party (NCP) were absent during the oath-taking process. Following the signing formalities, a second oath ceremony for members of the Constitutional Reform Council commenced. During this phase, independent MP Rumeen Farhana and BNP’s Ishraque Hossain were observed leaving the room, as per televised footage of the event.
The oath-taking event unfolded amidst ongoing political discussions concerning participation in the Constitutional Reform Council. Earlier, MPs from the 11-party alliance, including Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP, declined to take their parliamentary oaths. This decision was reportedly a response to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) choice to abstain from the constitutional reform council oath.
Meanwhile, BNP’s newly elected lawmakers took their parliamentary oaths but refrained from participating in the Constitutional Reform Council. BNP leader Salauddin Ahmed mentioned that, as per party instructions, their MPs were not to sign the Constitution Reform Council form, emphasizing they were not elected as council members. He further clarified that if the council’s adoption occurs constitutionally in parliament, appropriate steps would be taken.
With BNP’s chairman Tarique Rahman poised to lead Bangladesh after their party’s significant electoral win, experts caution about potential unrest and heightened political tensions during this transition period.
