The High Court (HC) today rejected a writ petition that challenged the legality of oath taking by lawmakers elected in the December 30 general election.

The court came up with the order saying that there is nothing illegal in taking oath taken by the lawmakers as they took charges of their offices on January 30.

The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order.

Earlier on February 6, the court concluded hearing on the petition and fixed today (February 18) for passing an order.

On that day, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon argued that oath taking by the lawmakers on January 3 was unconstitutional as the tenure of the 10th parliament expired on January 28.

“Therefore, there were two parliaments from January 3 to January 28 -- which is unconstitutional,” he told the court on February 6.

Attorney General MahbubeyAlamhad argued that as new lawmakers took charge on January 30, oath taking was not illegal.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today alleged that people do not have the right to vote in the country.

The spirit of liberation war was to establish a democratic society but unfortunately, the democracy has completely disappeared from the country 49 years after the liberation war, Fakhrul said.

Fakhrul was talking to journalists this morning after placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar to pay tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War marking the 49th Victory Day.

Fakhrul vowed to restore democracy by uniting people through the sprit of liberation and free from BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

Khaleda Zia was elected prime minister for three times but she was kept in jail mercilessly and oppressively, he said.

BNP Standing Committee Members Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain and Abdul Moyeen Khan and party joint secretary general Khairul Kabir Khokon, among others, were present at that time.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today alleged that the ruling Awami League is heading towards the path of “dynastic politics with an aim to materialise a one-party state” in the country.

“Who are being nominated? Who are being made chiefs of different wings of a party? You will come to understand if you pay a little attention. Only one party and one family are controlling everything.  After all, a dynastic rule is on,” Fakhrul said.

While addressing a programme at the National Press Club in Dhaka, Fakhrul termed the government as “monstrous” and called upon people to join the movement against the ruling quarter for a fresh election under a neutral Election Commission.

Awami League has nominated Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, nephew of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as the party’s mayoral runner to Dhaka South City Corporation elections.

Earlier, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, who is also a nephew of Sheikh Hasina, has been elected as president Awami League youth wing Jubo League.

Pointing finger at both the leaders, Fakhrul said the ruling Awami League has completed all arrangement to turn Bangladesh into a one-party state.

Fakhrul said the ruling party is heading towards the path of dynastic politics ignoring all achievements of the Liberation War and destroying all organs of the state.

The BNP leader alleged that the government is appointing teachers to different public universities, including Dhaka University, based on political consideration instead of merit and competence.

Apart from this, he said teachers “with very poor educational background and poor competence” are now being made vice chancellors of different public universities only for political interest.

“The same thing is happening in appointing and recruiting judges with a motive to establish absolute supremacy in all sectors,” the BNP leader alleged.

Claiming that the country’s economy has been made an empty vessel, Fakhrul said the government is engaged in hatching conspiracy to make the state dysfunctional.

Fakhrul was speaking at a civic condolence meeting arranged by Zia Parishad at the National Press Club in memory of its founding chairman Kabir Murad, who passed away recently.

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad, who declared himself the leader of the opposition in parliament, now wants the status of a deputy prime minister. But such a post does not exist.

The leader of the opposition now enjoys the status of a minister. If it is to be given the deputy prime minister's status, the constitution first needs to be amended to create the post.

“I will request the new government to formulate a law to upgrade the post of the opposition leader to deputy prime minister. I will place the proposal in parliament. I will also speak to the Speaker [of parliament] in this regard,” he said, while talking to reporters after taking oath as an MP at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered the oath at her office in parliament yesterday.

Ershad has been elected MP from Rangpur-3.

Twenty-two JP MPs-elect, except Ershad, took the oath as lawmakers of the 11th parliament on January 3. The JP chief could not take the oath due to illness.

After taking the oath yesterday, Ershad went to the room designated for the leader of the opposition at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Sitting on the chair of the opposition leader, he told reporters that he was proud of taking oath as the opposition leader.

The former military ruler said he would request the government to elect the deputy speaker from the opposition MPs.

Ershad, who grabbed the state power in March 1982 by ousting the elected government of President Justice Abdus Sattar, said he would also request the government to upgrade the post of the opposition whip.

He said he would also urge the government to appoint more opposition MPs as chiefs of different parliamentary standing committees.

“We want to play the role of a strong opposition party in parliament. We will play our role following the rules of procedure in parliament. We will not boycott the parliament like the previous opposition parties,” he said.

JP Secretary General Moshiur Rahman Ranga told reporters that Ershad would be the first male in the last 27 to act as the leader of the opposition.

Just a day after the JP Parliamentary Party decided to join the Awami League-led grand alliance government, Ershad on January 4 came up with a completely opposite decision.

The JP chairman in a statement announced that his party would be the main opposition in parliament with no representation in the new cabinet.

Ershad, who was forced to step down from the president post following a mass movement in December 1990, also announced that he would act as the leader of the opposition and his younger brother and JP co-chairman GM Quader would be the deputy leader of the opposition.

Talking to this newspaper, several JP lawmakers termed Ershad's decision funny and arbitrary.

Earlier on January 3, JP Parliamentary Party unanimously decided that since JP contested the election under the banner of the AL-led grand alliance, they would join the government.

Sources at the Parliament Secretariat said Speaker Shirin Sharmin has yet to take measures to recognise Ershad as the opposition leader.

Ershad's wife, Raushan Ershad, was the leader of the opposition in the 10th parliament.

In the December 30 polls, the AL-led grand alliance secured 288 seats. JP, a key component of the alliance, bagged 22.

The BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront managed to win only seven seats, while independent candidates got three.

The election in Gaibandha-3 was rescheduled for January 27 following the death of a candidate, and re-polling will take place at three centres in Brahmanbaria-2 on January 9.

The JP became the main opposition in the 10th parliament formed after the 2014 election, which was boycotted by the BNP-led alliance.

The JP in that election won 34 seats and its senior leader Raushan Ershad was recognised as the leader of the opposition. Three JP MPs were also made ministers.

Their dual role has been criticised. The party could not play its due role as the main opposition in parliament in the last five years.