The Election Commission will announce next week the election schedule for the 50 reserved seats for women in the 11th parliament, EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said today.

“According to the 11th parliamentary election results, 43 seats will be reserved for Awami League while four for the Jatiya Party, one for Jatiya Oikyafront and two for the independent and other candidates,” Helal Uddin Ahmed told reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon.

Besides, the upazila parishad elections will be held in phases from the first week of March, he added.

The AL-led grand alliance secured 288 seats -- the AL 257, the JP 22 and others 9 -- in the December 30 election. The BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront got only eight seats.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said BNP has failed to plunge the December 30 national election into controversy even after knocking at the doors of its foreign friends.

“They (BNP) wrote letters to different countries to make the election questionable but their motive has gone in vain,” Quader, also the minister for Road Transport and Bridges, told reporters after visiting construction site of the second Kanchpur Bridge on Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet highways in Narayanganj’s Sonargaon upazila.

BNP also completely failed to ensure momentum of their anti-government movement as people did not take to the streets by responding their call, the Awami League leader said.

Replying to a query about BNP’s decision to refrain from participating in the upcoming upazila elections, the minister said no political parity can sustain without taking part in election.

He said the heads of different countries including UK and Switzerland welcomed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following the formation of government under her leadership for the fourth time.

Claiming that people would not throng the streets responding to the BNP’s call, Quader said BNP is engaged in negative politics and thus it will lose its foreign friends as well as the trust of the countrymen.

The High Court will deliver its order today on a writ petition that challenged the legality of oath-taking of lawmakers elected in the December 30 national election.

Advocate Md Taherul Islam Tawhid filed the petition on January 14, praying to the HC to issue a rule asking the Election Commission and the government to explain why the oath taking should not be declared illegal.

The lawyer also sought necessary HC orders on the authorities concerned to block the new lawmakers from discharging their functions.

The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal fixed the date after holding a hearing  yesterday.

During the hearing, Taherul's lawyer Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon argued that the oath-taking violated articles 123(3) and 148(3) of the constitution of Bangladesh.

According to article 123(3)(a), parliamentary election shall be held within 90 days of dissolving the incumbent parliament.

“As the 11th national election was held without dissolving the 10th parliament, the polls have breached the constitution,” Barrister Khokon said. 

Moreover, as per article 148(3) if a person is required to make an oath before entering an office, s/he shall be deemed to have entered office immediately after the oath.

Following article 148(3), the new lawmakers shall be deemed to have taken office right after they were sworn in, Khokon added.

However, the 10th national parliament which first sat on January 29, 2014 still exists and will continue till January 28 this year as per Article 72(3) of the constitution, he said, adding, “the oath-taking of the lawmakers is hence unconstitutional”.

On the other hand, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam opposed the writ petition saying that the petitioner lacks locus standi or sufficient interest in the matter in question.

“Advocate Tawhid is neither an elected lawmaker nor a candidate of the December 30 election,” the AG said, adding that there is no legal basis for the court to consider the petition.

The newly elected parliament members will be sworn in tomorrow and the new cabinet may take oath on Sunday.

A number of ministers informed this to journalists yesterday. 

Talking to reporters during a dialogue with Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said the newly elected MPs would be sworn in tomorrow. 

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The government would formally announce the date, he said at the media centre of his secretariat office. 

The gazette on the MPs-elect was published yesterday.

The minister also said the Jatiya Party would be the main opposition in parliament. “The party can also take part in the new government if the prime minister offers them and they accept it.”

Inu said the Awami League-led Grand Alliance is the people's alliance and it has won the national election by a huge margin as it has tried to work for the people.

About the rejection of polls results by the BNP, Inu said the party did so as “part of its conspiracy”.

Seeking anonymity, a senior AL minister told The Daily Star that the new cabinet would be sworn in on Sunday.

However, AL General Secretary Obaidul Qauder yesterday said the process to form the new government was likely to be completed by January 10.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, was talking to reporters after placing wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the city's Dhanmondi.

“After the oath-taking of the new MPs, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will meet the president. The president will then request the prime minister to form the government.”

Asked about the Jatiya Oikyafront's decision not to take oath, Quader said, “The Election Commission will deal with the issue. Everything will be done according to the constitution. If any candidate fails to take oath, the Election Commission will take necessary steps in line with the constitution. A new schedule will be announced for holding a by-election in that constituency.”

The minister said he still believed the Oikyafront, led by the BNP, would not “disobey the people's verdict”.

“Earlier, they had made a mistake by boycotting the 2014 general election. Whether they are satisfied or dissatisfied [with the polls results], it is their party's matter. But I hope those who have been elected MPs this time will not show disrespect to the people's verdict by not taking oath.”

The minister said many democratic countries have started congratulating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “If they [BNP] do not participate in the democratic process, it will not remain halted.”

Quader urged AL leaders, activists and supporters not to be revengeful to the opposition men and behave with them carefully.

In the December 30 parliamentary, the AL-led Grand Alliance won 288 seats against the BNP-led Oikyafront's seven. 

Three independent candidates also became victorious.

The election in Brahmanbaria-2 was suspended as voting at three polling centres was suspended over violence. Polling in those centres will be held on January 9.

Polls in Gaibanda-3 were rescheduled for January 27 following the death of a candidate.