BNP lawmakers-elect will finally be sworn in tomorrow as almost all its policymakers are in favour of joining the inaugural session of the ninth parliament on January 25.
On receiving a request from BNP yesterday, Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar fixed the time for the oath taking ceremony.
The BNP sent a letter, signed by its vice-chairman MK Anwar, to the speaker urging him to take necessary steps to administer oath to BNP lawmakers-elect in the afternoon of January 15, sources in the parliament secretariat said.
On the same day, two lawmakers-elect of Jamaat-e-Islami and one of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), BNP’s electoral allies, are likely to take oath, said sources close to the parties.
BJP yesterday sent a letter to the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat expressing its willingness to take oath tomorrow. Officials in the parliament secretariat said they are expecting Jamaat’s letter today.
Today was the tentative date for BNP lawmakers-elect to take oath but the party in the letter requested the speaker to fix the date for tomorrow.
The party, which managed only 30 seats in the national polls, skipped oath-taking on January 4.
About joining the inaugural session of the ninth parliament, MK Anwar yesterday told The Daily Star that they hope they will join the first sitting of the new parliament.
Another close aide to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia said the party would join the first sitting of the parliament.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, who was defeated in the polls, cited the date of the inaugural session of the parliament as the only reason for their hesitation in taking oath.
“Awami League has chosen January 25 for the opening session of the parliament. This is the day they introduced Baksal [in 1975],” Delwar told reporters.
If the BNP does not join the first sitting of the inaugural session, it may face difficulty in nominating its candidate for the post of deputy speaker of parliament.
On the first sitting, the parliament will elect a new speaker and a deputy speaker according to the constitution.
The ruling Awami League has already offered the post of deputy speaker to the opposition and the BNP policymakers are in favour of accepting it.
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