Staff Reporter :
The newly-elected members to the 11th Parliament on Thursday took oath in a simple ceremony at the Jatiya Sangsad Oath Room.
A total of 289 members of the Parliament joined in the oath taking ceremony on the first day.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Choudhury first took the oath as per the rules of procedure and put her signature on the letter of oath.
The Speaker then administered the oath to the Awami League lawmakers, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
As per the custom, lawmakers of the party having majority took the oath first.
Later, the Speaker administered the oath to other MPs of Ershad-led Jatiya Party, Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Tariqat Federation, Manju-led Jatiya Party and the independent MPs.
Parliament Secretariat Senior Secretary Zafar Ahmed Khan conducted the oath- taking ceremony, beginning with recitation from the holy Quran.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attired with a Jamdani of a pink and grey shades entered the Oath Room at 11:03am.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party dominated Jatiya Oikyafront MPs-elect, however, refrained from taking the oath protesting holding of mockery election.
The Awami League-led alliance secured 288 seats while the JOF led by Dr Kamal Hossain bagged seven seats only, leaving the opposition alliance tattered in the field of politics.
The Awami League got 257 seats, HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party 22, BNP five, Workers Party of Bangladesh three, JSD, Bikalpa Dhara and Gano Forum two each, Anwar Hossain Manju-led Jatiya Party one seat and independent candidates got three.
The Election Commission on Tuesday published the results of the 11th general election and issued a gazette notification containing the names and addresses of candidates of 298 constituencies.
The polling was held peacefully amid a festivity in 299 seats out of 300 seats on December 30 as the voting in Gaibandha-3 Constituency was suspended due to the death of a candidate earlier.
However, the publication of the results of Brahmanbaria-2 Constituency was postponed as voting in three centres of the constituency was suspended.
After taking oath, the lawmakers put signatures on the letter of oath.
As per the law, if any lawmaker-elect refrains from taking oath within 90 days after the beginning of the first session or refrains from informing the Speaker, his/her membership will be ceased.
There is a constitutional obligation to take oath within three days after the publication of the gazette of the polls results.
The Parliament session will officially begin functioning after the termination of the 10th parliament. The 10th parliament, which was convened on January 29, 2014, will expire on January 28, 2019 according to the Constitution.
