Mukabbir takes oath as MP, Gonoforum expels him

Dhaka, April 02 – Ganoforum’s MP-elect Mukabbir Khan, who won the last national polls from Sylhet-2 constituency, yesterday took oath as a member of the 11th parliament.
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered him the oath at her office at the parliament building at about 12:00 pm. Gono Forum in a retaliatory action expelled Mukabbir Khan from the Party, sources said.
Tareq Mahmud, director (public relation department-1 of Jatiya Parliament Secretariat, confirmed the oath taken by Mukabbir.
With this both the two lawmakers-elect of Ganoforum took oath ignoring the decision of party and opposition alliance Jatiya Oikyafront, where the BNP is the major partner, not to join parliament.
Emerging from the Speaker’s chamber after taking the oath, Mukabbir Khan, a presidium member of the Gano Forum, in his instant reaction said he would work as an elected representative for the country and its people.
“I will talk to Parliament on behalf of the people of my constituency. I will play his role in parliament from the opposition bench,” he said.
He declaimed the allegation to steal party pad and use it while sending letter to the Speaker on Monday requesting her to take his oath.
Rather he said he has taken the oath as per the decision of the party.
Earlier on March 7, another Ganoforum leader Suntan Muhammed Mansur took oath by ignoring the party decision not to join Parliament.
Ganoforum had expelled Mansur from the party immediately after he took oath.
Mukabbir was also supposed to take oath along with Mansur on March 7. But on March 6, he informed the Speaker that he would take oath a day later.
Both the Ganoforum and Jatiya Oikyafront, which includes the BNP as a major partner, had rejected the poll results over alleged vote rigging and decided not to join Parliament.
BNP and Ganoforum had won only eight seats from among the 300 constituencies. Of them, the BNP got six seats.
With Mukabbir taking oath, there will be only six BNP lawmakers elect who are yet to take oath.
According to the Constitution, these six would have to take oath within 90 days after the election (that is by April 30), otherwise their seats would be automatically declared vacant.
When contacted Ganoforum general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu said Mukabbir has taken oath as member of palriament ignoring the party decision.
“We will meet soon and take disciplinary action against him,” he said. – Staff Reporter