CEC Nasir Uddin makes history by swearing in all MPs
This morning (17 February), he became only the second CEC to administer the oath. Although a previous CEC had received such an opportunity, he had not been able to administer the oath to all members.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin made history by administering the oath to all those elected as members of parliament in the 13th National Parliamentary Election – without any division.
This morning (17 February), he became only the second CEC to administer the oath. Although a previous CEC had received such an opportunity, he had not been able to administer the oath to all members.
In 1991, after the fall of Hussain Muhammad Ershad in the face of a mass uprising, the BNP and its allies – who won the election – were sworn in by the then CEC Justice Abdur Rouf, while Awami League and its allies took oath under the Speaker Md Shamsul Huda Chowdhury.
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Under the Constitution, if the speaker and deputy speaker of the National Parliament are absent, the responsibility of administering the oath falls on the CEC. The Speaker of the 12th National Parliament, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, resigned following the July Uprising.
Her whereabouts remain unknown. The deputy speaker is currently in prison.
In this situation, yesterday (16 February), the secretary of the Parliament Secretariat wrote to the EC secretary requesting that arrangements be made for the oath to be administered.
In this context, the CEC AMM Nasir Uddin administered the oath-taking of the MPs-elect today.
In the 1991 election, the BNP won 140 seats, while the Awami League secured 88 seats.
Jasmine Tuli, who was then an assistant secretary of the Election Commission, said, "After the fall of the government in the mass uprising, Justice Abdur Rouf, as CEC, administered the oath to the newly elected members."
In the 13th national election, voting was held in 299 constituencies. Polling in Sherpur-3 will be held later under a new schedule following the death of a valid candidate.
Due to legal complications, the Election Commission has suspended the announcement of results in Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4. Additionally, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman vacated the Bogura-6 seat as one person cannot retain multiple parliamentary seats; a by-election will be held there soon.
Altogether, CEC AMM Nasir Uddin earned the distinction of administering the oath to 296 elected MPs without any division.
