Bangladesh BNP MPs Sworn In Amid Constitutional Reform Questions

Elected BNP MP Rashiduzzaman Millat said the oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday morning. While Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the ceremony, Millat noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif would not attend the event.

"The oath-taking ceremony for the parliament members will be held at 9:30 am at our parliament bhawan. At 4.00 pm, there will be another session for the ministerial oath. PM Modi and the Prime Minister of Pakistan will not be coming," the elected BNP MP told ANI on Monday.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh, led by BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, in Dhaka on Tuesday, the External Affairs Ministry said.

The Speaker's participation at this important event underscores the deep and enduring friendship between the peoples of India and Bangladesh, reaffirming India's steadfast commitment to the democratic values that bind the two nations, the MEA statement read.

However, an uncertainty remains over whether elected MPs will take a second oath as members of a proposed constitutional reform council, according to Prothom Alo.

Questions remain about whether the constitutional reform council will be formed immediately to implement the proposals in the July National Charter, Prothom Alo reported.

Multiple sources from the BNP told Prothom Alo that the party believes it is appropriate to adhere to the existing constitution, which provides only for the swearing-in of MPs and contains no mention of a constitutional reform council or similar body.

They argued that such an oath could only arise if it were incorporated into the constitution. The BNP also questioned the legal basis of the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order from the outset.

Following a referendum in which the 'Yes' vote prevailed, the Implementation Order stipulates that a constitutional reform council comprising representatives elected in the 13th parliamentary elections should now be formed.

In the first elections post the 2024 mass protests that ousted PM Sheikh Hasina, BNP secured a commanding majority in the 300-seat parliament, winning over 151 seats and positioning Tarique Rahman as prime minister-designate.

Jamaat-e-Islami, previously an ally of the BNP, contested as a rival and emerged as the second-largest party, establishing itself as a key opposition force.

Election Commission figures showed the BNP-led alliance securing 212 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami-led bloc won 77. Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League was barred from participating.

- ANI