The MPs-elect of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam have taken oath as members of both the 13th Parliament and the Constitution Reform Council on Tuesday.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin administered the oath at 12:22pm in line with the Constitution as the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament are currently vacant.

Parliament Secretariat Secretary Kaniz Moula conducted the oath-taking ceremony at the oath-taking room of the Jatiya Sangsad. 

Jamaat MPs-elect first took oath as members of parliament and then separately did so as members of the Constitution Reform Council.

They signed the two types of oath forms – the white forms for the members of Parliament and the light blue form for the CRC members.

Now the newly elected MPs need to sign the oath book and provide fingerprints, images and digital signatures for preparation of their digital identity cards following the ceremony.

Independent MP-elects also took oath as Members of Parliament.

Earlier at 10:43am, BNP’s MP-elects took oath as only members of the 13th parliament not as members of the Constitution Reform Council.

BNP newly elected MPs refrained from taking oath as CRC members arguing that the provision for such council must be incorporated in the Constitution first following endorsement of the Parliament.

Speaking to media ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said none of them have been elected as members of any Constitution Reform Council (CRC) and that the Constitution does not currently contain such a council.

“We were not elected as members of any Constitution Reform Council, nor has such a body yet been incorporated into the Constitution. If a Constitution Reform Council is formed following the verdict of the referendum, it must first be in the Constitution,” he said.

On Friday last, the EC published a gazette of 297 elected MP candidates. The election results of two other constituencies – Chattogram-2 and 4-- were withheld as per the court orders. 

Besides, the election to Sherpur-3 was earlier cancelled following the death of a contesting candidate.

But, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman left Bogura-6 seat for by-election, taking oath as a member of parliament from Dhaka-17 constituency.

Jamaat Ameer calls meeting with Tarique 'an important moment'

In the election, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured 209 parliamentary seats, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami won 68.

Besides, National Citizen Party-NCP settled victory in six constituencies, independent candidates in seven constituencies, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish in two, Islami Andolan Bangladesh in one, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP (led by Andaleeve Rahman Partho) in one, Ganaodhikar Parishad in one, Ganasamhati Andolan in one and Khelafat Majlish in one parliamentary seat.

So, the BNP-led electoral alliance sealed victory in a total of 212 constituencies, while the Jamaat-led electoral alliance won in 77 constituencies.