648 MPs under oath right now: Rizvi

BNP senior joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the government has buried the law and constitution of the country to renew its tenure in power as there are currently 648 oath-bound members of parliament in the country right now.

The 11th parliament’s 350 members are still lawmakers as the tenure of that parliament will expire on 29 January. Till then they remain MPs while 298 MPs of 12th parliament have taken oath.

This is a flagrant violation of the constitution, Rizvi said addressing a press briefing at the BNP's central office in the city’s Naya Paltan on Wednesday.

Rizvi said the members of 12th parliament took oath hastily at the behest of prime minister while the 11th parliament was not dissolved yet which is unconstitutional.

The process of gazetting of ‘dummy MPs’, their swearing in, announcement of names of cabinet members, and their oath taking were completed hurriedly within just four days, the BNP leader added.

Rizvi said clause 3 of article 72 of the constitution states, ‘Unless sooner dissolved by the President, Parliament shall stand dissolved on the expiration of the period of five years from the date of its first meeting.’ As per this, the 11th parliament that started on 30 January in 2019 is supposed to expire on 29 January. Since the president has not dissolved it, the MPs of that parliament remain in the post till 29 January.

Rizvi demanded Awami League government’s resignation and reinstatement of the caretaker government, release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and scores of other leaders-activists of the party.

BNP has taken up programmes to mark the 88th birth anniversary of BNP’s founder Ziaur Rahman on 19 January. The party will hoist party flags in offices including the central office in Naya Paltan on the day. It will organise a discussion meeting at the Institute of Engineers Bangladesh auditorium at 2:00pm on Thursday.

The party will hold munajat (prayer) and place wreaths at the grave of late president Ziaur Rahman on Friday morning.

The front and associate organisations and different professional bodies will hold discussion meetings and distribute warm clothes marking the day.