49 women MPs from reserved seats sworn in

Forty-nine newly elected women members of the reserved seats in the 13th National Parliament officially took their oaths of office on Sunday night. 

Speaker Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram administered the oath in a ceremony held at the Parliament Secretariat.

The event took place at 9:00 PM on Level-1 of the Parliament Building’s East Block. With the swearing-in of these representatives, the 13th National Parliament has achieved its full legislative composition. 

The Election Commission had earlier published the gazette notification on April 30, declaring these 49 candidates elected unopposed.

The newly sworn-in members represent a cross-section of political affiliations. 

The MPs-elect from the BNP alliance include Selima Rahman, Shirin Sultana, Rasheda Begum Hira, Rehana Akhter Ranu, Newaz Halima Arly, Farida Yasmin, Bilkis Islam, Shakila Farzana, Helen Zerin Khan, Nilofar Chowdhury Moni, Nipun Roy Chowdhury, Jiba Amina Khan, Mahmuda Habiba, Sabira Sultana, Sansila Jebrin, Sanjida Islam, Sultana Ahmed, Fahmida Haque, Anna Minz, Suborna Sikder, Shamim Ara Begum Swapna, Shammi Akhter, Ferdousi Ahmed, Beethika Binte Hossain, Suraiya Zerin, Mansura Akhter, Johrat Adib Chowdhury, Momtaz Alo, Fahima Nasrin, Arifa Sultana, Sanjida Yasmin, Nadia Pathan Papon, Shawkat Ara Akhter, Madhavi Marma, Selina Sultana, and Rezeka Sultana.

Representing the Jamaat-e-Islami alliance are Nurunnesa Siddika, Marzia Begum, Sabikunnahar, Nazmun Nahar, Mahfuza Hannan, Sajeda Samad, Shamsunnahar Begum, Mardia Momtaz, Rokeya Begum, Mahmuda Alam Mitu, Tasmia Pradhan and Mahbuba Hakim. 

Additionally, Sultana Jasmine has been elected as an independent candidate.

However, Nusrat Tabassum, a leader of Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) and candidate of the Jamaat-led alliance, was unable to attend the ceremony. 

Although the Election Commission validated her nomination on Saturday following a legal battle, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud stated that her name could not be included in the gazette in time for Sunday's ceremony due to mandatory legal processes and appeal periods. 

Her formal induction into Parliament will follow once the administrative formalities are completed.