Doly Begum becomes first Bangladeshi-origin MP elected to Canada’s federal parliament
Her victory also secured a slim majority for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government.
Doly Begum has made history in Canadian politics by becoming the first Bangladeshi elected as a federal member of parliament (MP) in Canada.
The Bangladeshi-origin Canadian politician and former New Democrat MPP for Scarborough Southwest secured a commanding victory in Monday night's (13 April) federal by-election after switching to the Liberal Party earlier this year, according to CBC News.
She will now head to Ottawa as the member of parliament for Scarborough Southwest, a Liberal-held riding vacated by longtime MP Bill Blair after he stepped down to become Canada's high commissioner to the United Kingdom.
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Her victory also secured a slim majority for Prime Minister Mark Carney's government, which in recent months has seen five MPs, four of them Conservatives, cross the floor to join the Liberals.
With Liberal candidates winning all three federal byelections held on Monday, the party's seat count now stands at 174, surpassing the 172 needed for a majority government.
"Tonight, we celebrate something truly powerful … a community uniting, setting aside differences to choose hope, compassion, and progress," Doly Begum said as she took the stage at a Kingston Road banquet hall, greeted by supporters chanting her name.
She secured close to 70% of the vote, although turnout was relatively low, with only around one-third of eligible voters casting ballots.
Several notable figures attended the celebration at the banquet hall, including Beaches–East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Scarborough–Guildwood MPP Andrea Hazell, and Qadira Jackson, who had previously run against Begum as the provincial Liberal candidate in Scarborough Southwest.
