President-designated person to administer oath of new MPs: Asif Nazrul

A person designated by the president on the advice of the chief adviser will administer the oath to newly elected members of parliament, said Law Adviser Asif Nazrul today (5 February).

"There is no scope for former speakers or deputy speakers to administer the oath to newly elected MPs. Therefore, a person designated by the president on the advice of the chief adviser will administer the oath," he said while speaking to reporters at the Secretariat following a press briefing.

Asif Nazrul said the issue of who will administer the oath is a policy-level decision of the government, and no final decision has yet been taken.

However, he said that there are two options. Any person nominated by the president may administer the oath, as an example, Asif Nazrul said, "the person could be the chief justice."

He added that if a presidentially designated person is not appointed, the chief election commissioner can administer the oath three days after the election.

Article 148 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh mandates, "If, within three days next after publication through official gazette of the result of a general election of members of parliament under clause 3 of article 123, the person specified under the constitution for the purpose or such other person designated by that person for the purpose, is unable to, or does not, administer oath to the newly elected members of parliament, on any account, the chief election commissioner shall administer such oath within three days next thereafter, as if, he is the person specified under the constitution for the purpose."

In this regard, the adviser further said, "However, that option involves waiting for three days, which we do not want. We want the oath-taking to take place as soon as possible after the election." 

Asif Nazrul further said the interim government would not delay the oath-taking process for the newly elected MPs under any circumstances.

According to Chapter 2 of the Rules of Procedure of the Jatiyo Sangsad, newly elected members are required to take their oath before the first sitting of parliament.

The rules state that the oath is to be administered by the outgoing speaker, or in his absence, the outgoing deputy speaker. If both offices are vacant, the oath may be administered by a person designated by the president to administer the oath and preside over parliament until a new speaker is elected.