Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered the swearing-in around 12:00 pm at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban while parliament senior secretary Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan conducted the oath-taking ceremony.
With Zahidur's oath taking, 295 MPs-elect out of 300 in the 11th parliamentary polls have so far been sworn in.
Zahid was elected MP with BNP’s ticket from Thakurgaon-3 seat in the December-30 election.
BNP along with Gonoforum and some other parties joined the election in alliance under the banner of Jatiya Oikyafront. BNP bagged six seats while Gonoforum two in the election.
The alliance turned down the election results bringing the allegation of 'massive vote robbery' and decided not to join parliament.
However, Gonoforum’s two MPs-elect Sultan Mohammad Mansur (Moulvibazar-2) and Mokabbir Khan (Sylhet-2) were sworn in on March 7 and April 2 respectively.
In his instant reaction, Zahid said he took oath as the MP knowing that the party may expel him for violating its decision.
Talking to reporters after he was sworn in, the BNP MP said he will place the demand in parliament for Khaleda Zia’s release from jail.
Meanwhile, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said Zahid has become a 'mass enemy' by taking oath violating the party decision.
Speaking at a human chain programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club nearly an hour after Zahid was sown in, Gayeshwar said, “Those who take oath defying the party decision, leaving its ideal and keeping its chairperson in jail, has no capability to remain with the nationalist force. They're mass enemies.”
He also said people will give a befitting reply to Zahid for breaching the party decision.
“Our party decision is not to join parliament and if anyone violates the party decision he can’t be considered as a party man,” said the BNP leader.
Parliament sources said Zahid sent a letter to the Speaker in the morning requesting her to make an arrangement for administrating oath to him.
Contacted, BNP chairperson’s media wing member Sayrul Kabir Kahn said Zahid was sworn in breaching party decision. “He didn’t inform the party anything about taking oath.”
Now only five BNP MPs-elect are left to take oath. As per the constitution, they must be sworn in by April 29 if they want to remain members of the current parliament.