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Published : 14 Feb 2026, 04:15 PM
Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid has said the chief justice or the chief election commissioner could administer the oath to newly elected members of parliament if there is no Speaker or Deputy Speaker in office.
He made the remarks on Saturday amid discussions over who will conduct the swearing-in ceremony following the 13th parliamentary election.
“If the speaker or deputy speaker is not there, or cannot administer the oath, there are several options,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.
“In that case, the chief justice or the chief election commissioner can conduct the oath ceremony.”
He said the president would administer the oath to the prime minister and other members of the cabinet, as required by the Constitution.
The Election Commission published the gazette for 297 newly elected MPs on Friday night. Under Article 148 of the Constitution, lawmakers must take their oath within three days of the gazette notification.
“The gazette has been issued. Under the law, the oath must be taken within three days. That period runs until the 17th,” the cabinet secretary said.
He added that preparations were under way regardless of the exact date.
“If it is tomorrow or the day after, we are ready. If it is after three days, we are ready for that as well.”
The position of speaker is currently vacant. Former speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is facing legal proceedings and is not in office, while former deputy speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku is in jail.
The absence of both officeholders has led to uncertainty over who will administer the oath to the new MPs.
Election Commissioner Rahamanel Masud told bdnews24.com that Article 148(3) allows the CEC to administer the oath on the fourth day if the speaker or deputy speaker is unavailable.
Law Advisor Asif Nazrul has also suggested that the president could nominate a person for the task.
Asked whether he had learned who would ultimately administer the oath, the cabinet secretary said he had informal information but did not wish to disclose it.
He noted that several options exist, including the speaker, deputy speaker or a nominee. If no nomination is made, the government may arrange for another nominee, and in that case the chief justice or the chief election commissioner could conduct the ceremony.
Asked about the number of guests expected at the ceremony, he said around 1,000 people are likely to attend.
