National Citizen Party lawmakers sworn in to parliament and reform council

They have changed their decision after initially threatening to boycott the ceremony

Members of the NCP elected to the new parliament have taken oath, despite threatening to boycott the ceremony earlier after the BNP declined to be sworn in as members of the Constitution Reform Council.

They took oath both as lawmakers and as members of the Constitution Reform Council.

The NCP legislators were sworn in on Tuesday by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin.

The newly elected representatives later signed the official documents.

Their decision came shortly after members of Jamaat-e-Islami took both oaths earlier in the day.

Generally, newly elected lawmakers are sworn in by the speaker of the outgoing parliament.

But the political upheaval following the July Uprising has upended that convention.

Former speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has remained out of public view, while deputy speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku is in custody in a murder case, leaving the chief election commissioner to conduct the ceremony this time.

Although BNP lawmakers were sworn in as members of the 13th national parliament, the party refused the separate oath tied to the July Charter reforms.

In response, Jamaat and the NCP threatened to boycott the swearing-in ceremony for lawmakers.

Explaining the party’s decision, NCP Joint Member Secretary Abdullah Al Amin, elected from Narayanganj-4, said the move reflected the public mandate.

“The people have entrusted us with the responsibility of implementing the aspirations of the July Uprising.

That is why we have taken both oaths,” he said, according to a statement from the party’s media wing.

He criticised the BNP’s position, describing it as driven by the pursuit of power.

“By taking oath only to form the government, they have ignored public opinion,” he said.