Awami League has elected its chief Sheikh Hasina as leader of their Parliamentary party for the 10th national assembly.
That will mean she will continue as Prime Minister.
The Jatiya Party has elected their presidium member Raushan Ershad as their leader in parliament.
She will thus function as Opposition leader as the JP will sit in Opposition with 33 seats.
She replaces BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia who was Leader of Opposition in the last Parliament.
These decisions were made during separate meetings by Awami League and Jatiya Party’s Parliamentary parties after oath was administered to MP’s in Parliament on Thursday.
Newly elcted Awami League lawmakers, led by its president Sheikh Hasina, were sworn in as Members of Parliament by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at 10am Thursday.
Raushan led Jatiya Party MPs into the ‘Oath-taking Chamber’ an hour later without party Chairman HM Ershad, who has also been elected in the Jan 5 elections.
Awami League parliamentary party held a meeting at Parliament complex after the oath-taking ceremony.
Sheikh Hasina has been elected as Leader of the House, members emerging from the meeting said.
Gazipur MP Jahid Ahsan Rasel said the party’s general secretary proposed that Sheikh Hasina be elected leader of the parliamentary party and the House. He was supported by Abdus Shahid Chief Whip of the 9th Parliament.
Sheikh Hasina was later unanimously elected Leader of the House.
Awami League presidium member Mohammad Nasim said Sheikh Hasina will meet President Abdul Hamid within a few days. The Prime Minister will form her new cabinet after President invites majority group Awami League to form the government.
A senior Awami League leader believes that Parliament’s functioning will be normal during this term even though BNP, the former main opposition, is not there.
The 10th national elections were held on Jan 5 which BNP and its allies boycotted. Awami League yet again emerged as the largest block with 231 seats and Jatiya Party got 33.
Jatiya Party presidium member Mujibul Haque Chunnu, after the meeting of their parliamentary party, said they elected Raushan Ershad as their leader.
“This is the parliamentary party’s unanimous decision. It can’t be altered even if someone opposes.”
When asked whether Jatiya Party would be in government or would sit in opposition, he said, “These matters were not discussed in the
meetings. But we want to be in both – government and in opposition. Most in the party are in favour of that.”
Source: Bd news24
