Noor-E-Alam reappointed as chief whip, Mashrafe a whip

Awami League lawmaker Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury has been reappointed as the Chief Whip in Parliament, while former Bangladesh cricket team captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza MP has been newly appointed as a whip of the ruling party.

Two separate gazette notifications were issued in this regard, appointing the chief whip and five whips in the parliament.

Whips have an important role in Westminster-style democracies, of maintaining party discipline within Parliament. They are tasked with ensuring all members of the party turn up to vote on legislative matters.

As per the Article 3 (1) of the Bangladesh (Whips) Order, 1972, the President appointed Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury (Madaripur-1) as the Chief Whip in the 12th Parliament, which is set to go into its first sitting on January 30 next. A gazette notification was issued from the Parliament Secretariat in this regard.

Alongside Mashrafe, Iqbalur Rahim (Dinajpur-3), Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon (Joypurhat-2), and two new names, Nazrul Islam Babu (Narayanganj-2) and Saimum Sarwar Kamal (Cox's Bazar-3), were also appointed as whips for the AL. A separate gazette notification was issued over the appointment of the five whips.

In the 11th parliament, besides Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury serving as the Chief Whip, Iqbalur Rahim and Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon served as the whips.