Shafiqur Rahman, Amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has been appointed Leader of the Opposition in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, with Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher named Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Nahid Islam of the Nationalist Citizen Party (NCP) appointed Opposition Chief Whip.
The appointments were decided at a parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, 17 February, following the swearing-in of Members of Parliament. Jamaat officials later confirmed the decisions.
Jamaat MPs took their oath at around 12:30 pm, followed by members of the NCP. Lawmakers elected under the 11-party electoral alliance – including Jamaat and the NCP – were also sworn in as members of the Constitution Reform Council.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which secured a two-thirds majority in the 13th parliamentary elections, formally formed the government. BNP MPs were sworn in earlier in the morning, followed by the swearing-in of the new cabinet in the afternoon.
However, BNP lawmakers did not take the oath as members of the Constitution Reform Council.