Newly elected MPs take oath of office

All the candidates who won from their respective constituencies in the 12th national election on January 7 have completed taking their oath of office as members of parliament today.

Newly elected Jatiyo Party lawmakers were administered their oaths by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at the parliament around 12:10pm.

According to the Election Commission Gazette, the JP bagged 11 parliamentary seats in the January 7 national polls.

The party was the opposition in the last two parliaments, but having bagged only 11 seats this time, it is still uncertain whether the party would be on the opposition bench in the 12th parliament.

Earlier, Awami League lawmakers led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and also the independent lawmakers were sworn in around 10:00am, followed by the independent lawmakers around 11:00pm.

AL won 222 out of 298 seats, more than enough for PM Hasina's party to form the government for a fourth consecutive five-year term since January 2009.

Two MPs of Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, who won the election with the Awami League electoral symbol, took oath with the ruling party.

The lone Kalyan Party MP took oath with independents, parliament secretariat sources said.

A total of 16 political parties, including the BNP, boycotted the polls held on January 7.

The Election Commission published the gazette on 298 elected lawmakers yesterday.

Polls to one constituency, Naogaon-2, were postponed following the death of a candidate in December.

The Election Commission will announce the result of another constituency, Mymensingh-3, later as polling of one of the centres was withheld, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said on Monday.