Will Bangladesh's Newly Elected MPs Take Oath on February 17?
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Key Takeaways
Dhaka, February 15 (NationPress) Members elected during Bangladesh's 13th National Parliamentary Election are scheduled to take their oath of office on Tuesday, February 17, as reported by local media.
The swearing-in ceremony will be conducted in the morning by Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin.
Several sources from the interim government's chief advisor's office, the law ministry, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is expected to form the next government, have confirmed this information to the prominent Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo.
The 13th parliamentary election took place on Thursday, with the Election Commission releasing the official gazette notification of the winning candidates on Friday night.
Preparations for the oath-taking ceremony are already in progress at the Jatiya Sangsad secretariat. Traditionally, the ceremony occurs in the designated oath room at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Jatiya Sangsad secretariat secretary Kaniz Moula stated that arrangements are being finalized for the oath-taking ceremony on Tuesday evening, February 17.
Voting occurred for 299 of the 300 seats in the 13th parliamentary election on February 12.
The Election Commission has announced unofficial results for 297 constituencies. However, the gazette notifications for Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 have not yet been issued following a directive from the High Court.
According to the results released so far, the BNP has secured 209 out of 297 seats in the February 12 election, with its candidates leading in the two constituencies, including Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4, where results are pending. Their allies have claimed three seats.
Conversely, Jamaat-e-Islami has won 68 seats, while the partners in the Jamaat-led 11-party electoral alliance have obtained nine seats. Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) has claimed one seat, and independent candidates have triumphed in seven constituencies, as reported by Prothom Alo.
With Tarique Rahman now poised to lead Bangladesh, marking the first male Prime Minister in nearly 35 years, experts caution that the nation faces significant challenges in overcoming the unrest and rising Islamist extremism that characterized the 18-month term of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.