'JaPa Wants To Remain As Main Opposition'

Jatiya Party (JaPa) Chairman Ghulam Muhammed Quader, the new MP for the Rangpur Sadar constituency, says his party wants to continue as the main opposition in parliament for a third consecutive term.

"It is always a great feeling to be a parliamentarian. In that sense, we feel joy that we made it to the parliament," he said after taking his oath of office on Wednesday.

GM Quader said he was not aware of the exact process for determining the opposition in parliament when reporters asked about it.

"But we were in the opposition and want it to remain that way. We work for the welfare of the people and want to do what is best for them," he added.

Quader also brushed aside "rumours" of unrest within the party against a 'failed leadership'.

"It was spread by people who want to tarnish the image of the Jatiya Party or raise questions against it," he said. "All decisions were made after consulting with everyone."

Members of the newly-elected 12th national parliament were sworn in at a ceremony in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Voting was held in 299 of 300 parliamentary seats on Sunday. The outcome of a parliamentary race in Mymensingh was held up due to the suspension of results at one voting centre. The High Court suspended the results of the Dhaka-4 parliamentary race on Tuesday after the Awami League candidate for the seat made allegations of irregularities.

The Awami League secured an absolute majority as its candidates won 222 of 299 seats in the national election.

Independent candidates, almost all of whom are Awami League leaders, won the second highest number of seats with 62.

The Jatiya Party, the official opposition in the last two parliaments, won only 11 seats, losing over half of the 26 seats the Awami League had ceded to them in a seat-sharing deal.