Oath for constitutional reform council subject to several conditions: Salahuddin

Taking an oath as a member of a proposed Constitutional Reform Council may be possible only “after addressing a number of ifs”, Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of the standing committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), remarked on Monday.

The BNP leader said, “If the Constitutional Reform Council is incorporated into the Constitution, if an amendment is made to that effect, and if a prescribed form for administering the oath is included in the Third Schedule of the Constitution, and it is determined who will administer that oath—it may happen after all those ‘ifs’.”

He made the comments while responding to journalists outside the BNP chairman’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka this afternoon.

Representatives elected in the 13th national parliamentary election are scheduled to take oath as members of parliament (MPs) on Tuesday. It has also been reported that they may be required to take a separate oath as members of the proposed Constitutional Reform Council.

The parliament secretariat is said to be preparing for both oaths. However, there remains uncertainty over whether BNP-elected MPs will take the additional oath, as the party maintains that the current Constitution makes no provision for a body titled “Constitutional Reform Council”.

Under the existing Constitution, the Third Schedule sets out the forms of oath for various constitutional offices, including MPs. There is no mention of any oath for members of a Constitutional Reform Council.

Responding to questions, Salahuddin Ahmed said that the constitutional responsibility of the election commission is to conduct parliamentary and presidential elections. He noted that the oath-taking ceremony for MPs is scheduled for 10:00 am on Tuesday.

He explained that constitutionally, if the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is unavailable or unable to perform the duty, or if their nominated representative is not present, the chief election commissioner (CEC) may administer the oath to elected MPs.

Accordingly, he said, the oath of elected MPs would be administered in parliament at 10:00 am on Tuesday, which falls within the constitutional jurisdiction of the CEC.

Earlier, another BNP standing committee member, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, also spoke to journalists.

Highlighting the significant challenges facing a BNP government in running the country, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “We want to move the country forward in unity.”

Referring to major challenges in education, healthcare, the economy and other sectors, he added, “The institutions have all but collapsed. There are challenges in rebuilding them too. We must confront those challenges. The trust that the people have placed in us will remain foremost in our minds.”