Iran Claims Control of Strait of Hormuz Amid Escalating Tensions with US
BNP MPs Refuse Reform Council Oath, Tensions Rise in Bangladesh Parliament
Feb 18, 2026Political tensions flared in Bangladesh on Tuesday as newly elected members of the 13th Parliament disagreed over taking an additional oath linked to the proposed Constitutional Reform Council.
Lawmakers were sworn in at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, where members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) took the standard oath as Members of Parliament but refused to recite a second pledge as members of the proposed Reform Council.
BNP leaders said their mandate from voters was to serve as MPs, not as council members. They argued that the Constitutional Reform Council must first be formally incorporated into the Constitution through parliamentary procedures before any separate oath can be administered. The party reiterated its support for constitutional reform but insisted that changes must be legally adopted by Parliament.
Several independent and smaller party figures, including Nurul Haque Nur and Zonayed Saki, also declined to take the Reform Council oath.
In contrast, lawmakers from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party took both the parliamentary oath and the additional pledge, administered by the Chief Election Commissioner.
The dispute follows a recent referendum endorsing constitutional reform and the July National Charter, which proposes the formation of a Constitutional Reform Council. Legal experts have questioned the constitutional validity of administering an oath for a body not yet formally recognised in the Constitution, raising the possibility of future court challenges.
Most Recent
