Women MPs’ oath to further empower half of population: Chief Whip

Chief Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Nurul Islam Moni on Sunday said the swearing-in of newly elected members to the reserved women’s seats in parliament would further empower half of the country’s population.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed administered the oath to the members in the parliament oath room.

Briefing reporters after the ceremony, the Chief Whip said 49 women members took oath, although 50 were expected to do so under constitutional provisions aimed at ensuring women’s rights and empowerment.

He said one member could not be sworn in as required documents were not submitted on time, resulting in legal complications. However, as the court ruling has gone in her favour, she is expected to take oath soon.

Nurul Islam Moni said the newly elected women MPs would make significant contributions to national development.

Highlighting the government’s roadmap for women’s development, he said initiatives such as the Family Card programme had already been introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to make women self-reliant and reduce hardship.

He said women’s participation in parliament would further strengthen and accelerate those efforts.

On the issue of constituency boundaries for reserved women MPs, the Chief Whip said they do not have specific constituencies, as the Constitution does not define any.

He said they would mainly engage in national-level activities, contribute to parliamentary proceedings and help inspire the nation. They would also oversee Family Card distribution and carry out responsibilities assigned by the prime minister for women’s empowerment.

Replying to a question, Nurul Islam Moni said special arrangements remained necessary as women still lagged behind in some areas.

He said BNP had nominated 20 women candidates in direct elections this time, and some of them were elected.

However, no women from the opposition won direct elections, though they would still be represented through reserved seats.

He said women make up half of the country’s population, and bringing them forward and making them self-reliant remained the prime minister’s main objective.

He expressed hope that women would play a leading role in building a well-organised and prosperous Bangladesh through collective efforts.