With the 90-day deadline for taking oath ending on Monday (Apr 29), BNP MPs-elect Aminul Islam and Harunur Rashid still expect to be sworn in following the party’s green light.
Article 67 (1) of the Constitution says that a member of parliament shall vacate his seat if he fails to take oath within 90 days from the date of the first meeting of parliament after being elected.
The Constitution, however, allows the Speaker to extend the deadline upon requests by MPs-elect.
“We are waiting because we except to be sworn in,” Islam, who is elected from Chapainababganj-3, told Bangla Tribune around 2 pm on Monday (Apr 29).
Islam said he was “awaiting the party’s decision.”
Elected from Chapainababganj-3, Rashid echoed saying he is “waiting for the party decision. Let’s see what happens.”
At a party meeting on Sunday (Apr 29), Rashid along with another MP-elect Ukil Abdus Sattar of Brahmanbaria-2 ‘promised’ to senior leaders that they would not take oath to their offices.
Their assurance came during a meeting with BNP policymaking forum members, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
BNP said it would “reward” the MPs-elect who will not join the parliament, a member of party’s policymaking National Standing Committee, who attended the meeting, told Bangla Tribune on condition of anonymity.
On Saturday (Apr 27), BNP has expelled Jahidur Rahman for taking oath as an MP defying the party.
Jahidur’s preliminary membership in the party has been also cancelled.
He was the first of the six BNP MPs-elect, including Mirza Fakhrul, to take oath as the MP from Thakurgaon-3 seat.
It came days before the deadline for swearing-in amid widespread speculations that the BNP MPs-elect, except Fakhrul, are taking oath.
Before joining the Dec 30 polls, the BNP said it would make arrangements for her release by winning the election.
After the heavy defeat to the ruling Awami League, the BNP and its Jatiya Oikya Front alliance said their eight MPs-elect would not join parliament in protest against vote rigging.
The two MPs-elect of its partner the Gano Forum – Sultan Mohammed Mansur Ahmed and Mokobbir Khan – have already joined parliament.
Dr Kamal Hossain-led Gano Forum has expelled Ahmed, but Khan was seen sitting next to other leaders, including its chief, onstage the party’s Special National Council.
Meanwhile, BNP has called an urgent media briefing at its Nayapaltan headquarters on Monday afternoon.
Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi will brief the latest on the party decision on it MPs-taking oath or not.
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Two BNP MPs-elect ‘promise’ not to take oath