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BNP MPs Skip Constitution Council Oath After Landslide Bangladesh Election Win

Bangladesh Nationalist Party MPs were sworn into Parliament following their decisive election victory, but they refused to take a separate oath for the Constitution Reform Council. BNP leader Salauddin Ahmed stated the refusal was on the instructions of party chief Tarique Rahman, arguing the council is not part of the Constitution. This move has prompted the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance to consider similarly refraining from their parliamentary oaths. The BNP secured 209 seats in the recent election held alongside a national charter referendum.

Key Points: BNP MPs Sworn In, Skip Constitution Reform Council Oath

  • BNP MPs skip Constitution Reform Council oath
  • Oath administered by Chief Election Commissioner
  • Move on instructions of party chief Tarique Rahman
  • Jamaat-e-Islami alliance may also refrain
  • BNP won 209 seats in election
2 min read

Bangladesh: BNP MPs sworn in after landslide victory, skip Constitution Reform Council oath

BNP MPs take parliamentary oath but refuse Constitution Reform Council pledge, citing legal concerns. Jamaat-e-Islami alliance may follow suit.

"All BNP's newly elected MPs have been instructed not to sign the Constitution Reform Council form - Salauddin Ahmed"

Dhaka, Feb 17

With the Bangladesh Nationalist Party set to form the government following its decisive victory in the 13th parliamentary election, the party's elected members of Parliament took the oath of office on Tuesday at the South Plaza of the National Parliament in Dhaka, local media reported.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin administered the oath on Tuesday morning in accordance with the country's Constitution, as the offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament are lying vacant.

The oath-taking ceremony was conducted by Parliament Secretariat Secretary Kaniz Moula.

Reports suggest that the BNP MPs did not take the oath as members of the Constitution Reform Council.

At the outset of the oath-taking ceremony, BNP leader Salauddin Ahmed said that on instructions of the party chief, Tarique Rahman, all BNP's newly elected MPs have been instructed not to sign the Constitution Reform Council form, since they were not elected as members of the council, Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported.

Salauddin also said that the Constitution Reform Council is not part of the Constitution and must first be incorporated into the Constitution in line with the outcome of the referendum.

He added that detailed procedures are also required, with specific guidelines on who would administer the oath to members of the Constitution Reform Council.

The 13th parliamentary election was held alongside the referendum on the July National Charter on February 12 in 299 out of the country's 300 constituencies.

In the elections, the BNP won 209 parliamentary seats, while the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats.

BNP's chairman Tarique, who won from two constituencies, vacated the Bogura-6 seat for a by-election and took oath as a member of Parliament from the Dhaka-17 constituency.

Meanwhile, according to a report in the leading Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, newly elected MPs from the 11-party alliance, including the Jamaat-e-Islami and National Citizen Party (NCP), are considering refraining from taking their parliamentary oaths.

The move reportedly came in response to the BNP's decision to abstain from the constitutional reform council oath.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
As an Indian, I'm watching this closely. A stable Bangladesh is vital for regional peace and our NE states' development. The BNP's landslide win is one thing, but skipping the council oath shows internal tensions. The Jamaat-e-Islami's 68 seats is a concerning number though. 🤔
R
Rohit P
They have a point. If the Constitution Reform Council isn't part of the constitution, why should MPs take an oath for it? Procedure matters. Bangladesh's democracy is still young, and such technicalities set important precedents. Good to see them standing on principle.
S
Sarah B
The alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami is the real story here. 68 seats for a party with that ideology is significant. The BNP might be making a procedural stand, but who they're governing with matters more for human rights and secular values.
V
Vikram M
This feels like political one-upmanship. The referendum was held alongside the election, so the public's will on the National Charter is clear. By refusing the council oath, the BNP is creating an unnecessary hurdle. Sometimes you have to respect the spirit of the law, not just the letter.
K
Kavya N
From a trade and connectivity perspective, I just hope this doesn't disrupt anything. So many of our projects in the Northeast depend on good relations with Dhaka. Political stability there is not just their concern, it's ours too. Fingers crossed 🤞

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