Parliament gearing up for newbies: Newly elected to take oath today

The Dhaka Times Desk Members of Parliament elected for the 10th National Parliament will take oath at 10 am on Thursday. 289 Members of Parliament will take oath excluding those due to postponement of elections in some places.

The oath-taking ceremony will be held at 10 am in Sangsad Bhavan. Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury will recite the oath.

The Election Commission sent the gazettes of the MPs elected in 290 parliamentary constituencies to BG Press for printing. In the evening, the printed gazette reached the Election Commission. It is said that there is a constitutional obligation to take the oath of the elected members of parliament within three days of publication of the gazette. Again, the constitution says that the session of the National Assembly should be held within 30 days of taking this oath. It is learned that party-wise instructions have already been given to the elected parliamentarians to be present at the parliament building on time for taking the oath.

Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina was elected in Gopalganj-3 and Rangpur-6 constituencies. Sheikh Hasina sent a letter to the Election Commission in the evening after the publication of the gazette of the elected members of parliament yesterday and announced the decision to leave the Rangpur-6 constituency. He will take oath as a Member of Parliament elected from Gopalganj-3 Constituency. By-elections will be held later in that seat.

On the other hand, despite winning the election, the names of Sheikh Afil Uddin in Jessore-1 and Monirul Islam in Jessore-2 were not placed in the gazette. The election commission complained against these two for violating the election code of conduct. Because of this, the commission has already issued a show cause notice to them. The notice asked them to inform in writing within the next 10 days why their candidature should not be cancelled. Re-polling will be held in some centers of the remaining 8 constituencies. That is why the gazette was not published in their name.

These constituencies are: Kurigram-4, Jessore-5, Dinajpur-4, Laxmipur-1, Bogra-7 and Gaibandha-1, 3 and 4 constituencies. Election Commission suspended polling in these constituencies due to various violence including looting of ballot papers, burning of polling stations during the program of the opposition party. It has been informed by the Election Commission that on January 16, polling will be held in the suspended centers in these 8 constituencies.

Meanwhile, the parliament building is also being decorated in a new way for the new parliamentarians. Washing, polishing and cleaning operations have started. Apart from cleaning outside the parliament, the same work is going on inside. Everything in the conference room is being redecorated. It is said that the seats of the members of Parliament are also being cleaned and re-installed.

It is to be noted that a parliamentary party meeting will be called after taking the oath today. Awami League is going to form the government again with an absolute majority in the elections.