36 women lawmakers take oath

Dhaka, Sept 5 (BDNEWS)- The 36 newly elected lawmakers in the 45-member reserved seats for women in the parliament took oath Monday.

Speaker Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar administered the oath to the women parliamentarians at ground floor of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at a simple ceremony in the afternoon.

Earlier, the election commission (EC) Sunday officially declared the 36 candidates to the women's reserved seats in parliament elected through a gazette notification.

Of the 36 lawmakers, 30 are from ruling BNP, three from Jamaat-e-Islami, two from Jatiya Party (Ershad) and one is from BJP (Matin).

The newly elected women lawmakers are expected to join the upcoming session of the parliament beginning on September 8.

The 30 female BNP lawmakers are: Sarawari Rahman, Selima Rahman, Shahriar Akhter Bulu, Khaleda Panna, Rabeya Chowdhury, Khaleda Rabbani, Yasmin Ara Haq, Begum Shamshunnahar Khawaja Ahsanullah, Bilkis Islam, Roushawan Ara Farid, Shahana Rahman Rani, Helen Zerin Khan, Rosy Kabir, Noore-Ara-Shafa, Syeda Nargis Ali, Chaman Ara, Abeda Chowdhury, Rehena Akhter Ranu, advocate Ferdous Akhter Wahida, Prof Bilkis Jahan Shirin, Reena Parveen, Noor Afroz Jyoti, Hosne Ara Gias, Tasmin Rana, Shamme Sher, Rokeya Ahmed Lucky, Sultana Ahmed, Nurjahan Yasmin, Raihan Akhter Banu and Jahan Panna.

The three Jamaat lawmakers are: Shahanara Begum, Sultana Razia and Dr Amena Begum.

The two women lawmakers from Jatiya Party (Ershad) are: Merina Rahman and Syeda Razia Fayez. The lone BJP (Matin) female lawmaker is Nabila Chowdhury.

Among others, LGRD and Cooperatives minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Prime Minister's advisor to parliamentary affairs Salauddin Kader Choudhury, Social welfare minister Ali Ahsan Mujahid, whip Ashraf Hossain, JP parliamentary party leader Begum Roushawan Ershad, were present at the oath-taking ceremony.

After taking the oath, newly elected ruling BNP lawmaker Selima Rahman, in an instant reaction to the media, expressed her hope to contribute in the parliamentary democracy and work for the welfare of womenfolk.

"I'm doing politics for the country and countrymen.... and as a lawmaker I want to serve the country and countrymen," Selima, also the cultural affairs minister, added.

Another ruling party women lawmaker Shamsunnahar Khawaja Ahsanullah said that her prime motto is to serve the country and its people.

"I will work for advancing the programmes taken by the PM," she added.

Advocate Ferdoush Akhter Wahida said: "This is not the first time ... I was an elected MP in 6th parliament."

"As a lawmaker, I will try to work for the people of my locality and will do my best to complete the work given to me with sincerity and efficiency," she added.

Later, the ruling party women lawmakers went to the mazar of the late president Ziaur Rahman and offered fateha and placed wreaths.

As Awami League did not accept its nine seats, the EC will announce fresh election schedule for polling to the seats shortly.

BDNEWS/1810 hrs