Sajeda to be deputy leader of House

Awami League Presidium Member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury. File photo

Awami League presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury is set to become deputy leader of the House for the third consecutive term.

Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent a letter to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury to take measures in this regard.

President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin, who is now in Singapore with President Abdul Hamid, told The Daily Star that a gazette notification on Sajeda's appointment would be issued soon.

Earlier on Thursday, Hasina in a letter to the Speaker requested her to make Sajeda, lawmaker from Faridpur-2, the deputy leader of parliament.

In February 2009, Sajeda succeeded late Zillur Rahman as deputy leader of the House.

The post fell vacant as Zillur stepped down after being elected president.

A Language Movement veteran and one of the organisers of the country's Liberation War, Sajeda was also the deputy leader in last two parliaments.

She served as minister for environment and forest and was awarded the Swadhinata Padak, according to a press release of the Parliament Secretariat.