Bangladesh summons new parliament on January 29

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, left, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, second left, opposition leader Raushan Ershad, second right, and Jatiya Party chairman H M Ershad chatting after Sheikh Hasina was sworn in for her third term as Bangladesh’s prime minister at the Presidential Palace in Dhaka on Sunday.

By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid has summoned the first session of the 10th parliament on January 29.

The session will start at 6pm on the day, said a Parliament Secretariat media release yesterday.

The election to the 10th parliament was held on January 5 amid boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led 18-party opposition alliance. Awami League won the election with absolute majority.

A record 153 lawmakers were elected unopposed, denying voting rights to over 520mn voters.

On Sunday, the new government led by Sheikh Hasina took oath.

Officially, the ninth parliament ends its five-year tenure on January 24.

Meanwhile, the election commission (EC) has said it has assigned an officer to complete the groundwork for electing 50 MPs in seats reserved for women.

The parliament secretariat sent to the EC, the list of newly elected members of parliament (MPs), as they would elect the women MPs.

The Jatiya Sangsad (seats reserved for women) Election Act 2004, requires the EC to hold the elections to the reserved seats within 90 days from the publication of the general election results in the official gazette.

In the controversial election held on January 5, the election commission declared 153 MPs elected in a 300-seat House even before the voting could start.

Article 65(3) of the constitution reserved 50 seats exclusively for women MPs to be elected by MPs.

The EC said it received the list of MPs, who had taken the oath.

EC secretary Muhammed Sadique said the preparations were under way for holding the election in the reserved seats as early as possible. “We have assigned an officer to complete the groundwork,” he added.

The electoral laws call for a proportional distribution of the 50 reserved seats among the parties represented in the parliament.

The controversial January 5 election was marred by widespread violence. Boycotted by the opposition, ruling Awami League managed to bag 231 seats. But for 14 seats, bagged by dissident ruling Awami League men, the rest were taken by the parties in the ruling coalition.

The 10th parliament is headed to have no opposition party worth the name.

It would have a pet opposition party represented by HM Ershad faction of Jatiya Party, a ruling coalition partner.

Re-polling in 392 polling centres in eight constituencies is due on January 16.