BNP’s Zahidur takes oath as MP [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

BNP’s Zahidur takes oath as MP

Local April 26, 2019

Bangladesh Nationalist Party MP-elect Md Zahidur Rahman from Thakurgaon 3 constituency was sworn in as member of parliament on Thursday violating the party’s decision.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered Zahidur’s oath at her office in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the afternoon.
Chief whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury and whips Iqbalur Rahim and Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan were, among others, were present on the occasion.
The speaker told New Age in the evening that no other MP-elect from BNP contacted her office to take oath.
After taking oath, Zahidur Rahman told reporters that he took the oath defying the stance of his party as well as the opposition alliance Jatiya Oikya Front.
‘I waited for long since the polls held on December 30, 2018 for the party’s decision. Now, I have taken oath responding to the demands of my electorates,’ he added.
Zahidur said he stayed in Dhaka for 15 days to get the party’s nod. ‘Now voters requested me to return locality as an MP,’ he added.
He also said he would work for the party even if the party suspends him.
Zahidur also said he would talk in parliament for releasing BNP’s jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia as she is an aged person.
The BNP MP, however, did not join in the Thursday’s sitting.
When asked about the matter, Zahidur said that he was waiting to attend the session along with four others MPs-elect of the BNP.
He said he and four others met the party’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, also an MP-elect from Bogura 6. Fakhrul advised them not to take oath.
About an hour after Zahidur’s taking oath, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, addressing a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, said that Zahidur had become a ‘mass enemy’ by taking oath violating the party’s decision and warned Zahidir of facing the consequences for deceiving people.
He said that those who took oath, defying the party decision and leaving its ideal and keeping its chairperson in jail, had no capability to remain with the nationalist force.
‘Our party decision is that we will not go to parliament and if anyone violates the party decision he cannot be considered as a party activist,’ he said.
Bangladesh Mafaswal Sangbadik Association formed the human-chain demanding release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Gayeshwar also said taking oath by Zahidur mattered little as he joined an ‘unelected’ parliament abandoning the people.
A total of eight candidates of Jatiya Oikya Front, six from BNP and two from Gono Forum, won in the December 30 national elections.
Zahidur is the third MP of the opposition alliance Jatiya Oikya Front to join the 11th parliament.
Earlier, Gono Forum presidium member Mokabbir Khan took oath on April 2 and Sultan Mohammad Monsur Ahmed took oath on March 7 defying the stance of the party and the Oikya Front.
After taking oath Gono Forum expelled Sultan and decided to issue show cause notice to Mokabbir for violating the party decision.
Besides the BNP secretary general, the four other BNP MPs elect are Aminul Islam of Chapainawabganj 2, Ukil Abdus Sattar of Brahmanbaria 2, Mosharraf Hossain of Bogura 4 and Harunur Rashid of Chapainawabganj 3.