BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday said his party will welcome any move by the opposition to form a ‘shadow cabinet’, as the practice exists in many developed democracies.
“In many developed democracies, the opposition forms a shadow parliament. If they take such a step, we will welcome it,” he said while talking to reporters in front of the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Salahuddin Ahmed also presented a constitutional explanation regarding the oath of members of the Constitutional Reform Council.
“If the Constitutional Reform Council is incorporated into the Constitution through an amendment, and if a specific oath format is included in the Third Schedule of the Constitution with a designated authority to administer that oath—only after all these conditions are met could such a process take place,” he said.
However, a press release issued by the Parliament Secretariat said the newly elected MPs of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad will first be sworn in as members of parliament (MPs), followed by their oath-taking as members of the Constitutional Reform Council on Tuesday at 10am in the Oath Room of the parliament complex.
Uncertainty remains over whether the MPs elected from BNP will take the oath as members of the Constitutional Reform Council, as the party believes the existing Constitution contains no provision for such a council.
While the Third Schedule of the Constitution specifies the oaths for various offices, including that of Members of Parliament, it does not mention any oath for members of a Constitutional Reform Council.
Responding to questions from journalists, Salahuddin Ahmed said the constitutional responsibility of the Election Commission is to conduct the national parliamentary and presidential elections.
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The BNP leader explained that constitutionally, if the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is unavailable, unable, or has not nominated a representative, the second option is for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to administer the oath to the elected MPs.
Besides, he said, the oath of the newly elected members will be held in Parliament at 10:00am tomorrow (Tuesday), which falls within the constitutional jurisdiction of the CEC.
Earlier, on Sunday, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shishir Monir and NCP leader Asif Mahmud announced the formation of a shadow cabinet through their posts on the social media.
Before Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury spoke to journalists, expressing hope that the opposition will play a democratic role in Parliament in the interest of the country.
He mentioned that the new BNP government will face several major challenges in running the country. “We want to move the country forward in a united manner.”
Referring to major challenges across sectors such as education, healthcare and the economy, Khosru said, “All the institutions have been destroyed. There are challenges in restoring them as well. So we must confront these challenges. The trust that the people have placed in us will remain at the forefront of our minds.”