After being sworn in as a member of the 11th National Parliament, BNP lawmaker Harun ur Rashid has clarified that they took oath upon instructions from the party’s acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman.
“We have taken oath as per the decision of the Tarique Rahman. We will raise the demand Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release in the House,” Harun, the MP of Chapainawabganj-3, told the media after the sworn in ceremony on Monday (Apr 29) afternoon.
Harun said they might join parliament’s Monday session after paying homage to the party founder Ziaur Rahman.
Earlier in day, Harun and three other BNP leaders took oath to their offices defying the party’s decision after Jahidur Rahman, elected from Thakurgaon-3, was sworn in on Thursday.
Along with Harun, Aminul Islam of Chapainawabganj-2, Ukil Abdus Sattar of Brahmanbarhia-2 and Mosharraf Hossain of Bogura-4 were sworn in by Speaker Shirin Sharming Chowdhury on Monday.
With five MPs now sworn in, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who won the Bogura-6 seat, remains the only elected BNP leader yet to join parliament.
Asked why Mirza Fakhrul opted out, Harun told reporters, “The matter of the secretary general is not my concern. You better ask him [Mirza Fakhrul].”
Harun said that they have joined the Parliament to “reveal the truth over the crisis in the country”.
“This Parliament has been formed through vote rigging damaging the democratic system. The Constitution was amended to facilitate rigging to cling on power and it’s the government’s responsibility to fix it. We joined the House to raise these issues,” he said.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia has been convicted through a dictated verdict, he claimed before adding “Now she’s being denied bail as the government has intervened in court.”
