Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad, who had flip-flopped on Jan 5 polls, has told the Speaker that he had agreed to take oath as an MP since people of Rangpur elected him.
The former military dictator, who won Rangpur-3 seat in the 10th parliamentary elections even after announcing withdrawal of his candidature, was sworn in on Saturday at the Parliament building.He went to the Parliament building from Combined Military Hospital where he was admitted under RAB guard soon after he announced on Dec 12 that Jatiya Party’s backing off from the election.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered the oath at her chamber at noon.
Most of the MPs from his party, including his wife Raushan Ershad, took oath on Thursday.
Ershad avoided speaking to anyone as he entered the Parliament premises and walked straight into the Speaker’s chamber.
An official of the Parliament Secretariat, who was present at the ceremony, said suit-attired Ershad was jovial as he greeted the Speaker.
He told bdnews24.com: “As he (Ershad) entered the Speaker’s room, she told him smiling, ‘so, you have come’.”
“Ershad then replied, ‘I had to, since the people of Rangpur had elected me’,” the official said but declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
After taking oath, the Jatiya Party Chairman went to Parliament Secretary’s office where he signed the oath document.
He left the Parliament building around 12:15 pm.
Unlike other MPs, the Jatiya Party chief entered the Parliament building through a route, opposite to the Ganabhaban, usually used by the President, Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of the House.
During his around 25-minute stay in the Parliament building, he avoided journalists.
Only Parliament Secretariat officials were allowed near the Speaker’s room when Ershad was taking oath.
The former dictator remains beyond the reach of journalists since his admission to the military hospital.
Ershad applied for withdrawal of his candidature in all three constituencies where he submitted nominations, but his election symbol remained on the ballot papers in two seats as the withdrawal applications were not accepted there.
He won the Rangpur seat but lost Lalmonirhat constituency.
Eighty-four-year-old Ershad has been elected MPs for the fourth time since his fall as the President in 1990 mass rising.
Jatiya Party functionaries had said on Thursday Ershad might take oath anytime soon.
The party emerged as the second largest block in the 10th Parliament after the Awami League.
It won 33 seats — 20 without a contest.
Raushan had said on Thursday she would function as Opposition Leader “with my husband’s blessings”. – bdnews24.com
