At least 200 newly elected lawmakers, several of them top political leaders, are set to enter the Jatiya Sangsad for the first time following the 13th parliamentary elections held on February 12.
High-profile first-time lawmakers include Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami amir Shafiqur Rahman, National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam, Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki and Gono Odhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque Nur.
According to the Election Commission’s gazette, voters in at least 18 districts, covering 66 constituencies, have elected representatives who have never previously served in parliament.
As per the results of 297 seats out of 299 seats, the BNP secured 209 seats, while the Jamaat won 68 seats. The NCP obtained six seats and the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis won two. The Islami Andolan Bangladesh, the Ganosamhati Andolan, the Gono Odhikar Parishad, the Khelafat Majlis and the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) secured one seat each.
Out of the 300 JS seats, elections were held in 299 seats. Polls to one constituency were postponed. Results of two constituencies remained halted due to legal issues.
Among the BNP’s 209 lawmakers-elect, 125 are first-time lawmakers. The Jamaat has 65 first-time parliamentarians. All lawmakers elected from the NCP, the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, the Ganosamhati Andolan, the Gono Odhikar Parishad and the Khelafat Majlis are new entrants to parliament.
BNP chair Tarique Rahman, considered a frontrunner for the prime minister’s post, had never contested an election before. He was elected from Bogura-6 and Dhaka-17 constituencies in the 13th JS elections.
Shafiqur Rahman, who unsuccessfully contested the 2001 and 2018 national elections, was elected for the first time from Dhaka-15 and is expected to lead the opposition in parliament.
Nahid Islam, a key figure in the July 2024 uprising that ousted the authoritarian regime of the Awami League in August 2024, won Dhaka-11.
Nurul Haque Nur, former vice-president of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union, was elected from Patuakhali-3, while Zonayed Saki won Brahmanbaria-6.
All six NCP candidates elected with the ‘water lily bud’ symbol are first-time lawmakers. Besides Nahid Islam, the others include Akhtar Hossain from Rangpur-4, Hasnat Abdullah from Cumilla-4, Abdul Hannan Masud from Noakhali-6, Abdullah Al Amin from Narayanganj-4 and Atikur Rahman Mujahid from Kurigram-2.
From the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Syed Uddin Ahmad Hanzala from Madaripur-1 and Mufti Muhammadullah from Mymensingh-2 were elected as first-time lawmakers. Mufti Abul Hasan, elected from Sylhet-5 under the Jamaat-led alliance, is also entering parliament for the first time.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Md Oli Ullah was elected from Barguna-1, marking his first term.
Among seven independent winners, four are first-time lawmakers: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from Kishoreganj-5, Abdul Hannan from Chandpur-4, Atikul Alam Shawon from Cumilla-7 and Salman Omar from Mymensingh-1.
Voters in 18 districts opted entirely for new faces.
All seats in six constituencies in Naogaon, Rangpur and Jashore, five constituencies in Gaibandha, four each in Jhenaidah, Faridpur, Kurigram, Satkhira, Nilphamari, three each in Pirojpur, Munshiganj, Gopalganj, Madaripur and Chapainawabganj and two each in Chuadanga, Panchagarh, Sherpur and Joypurhat were won by first-time lawmakers.
Alongside the influx of newcomers, the 13th parliament will also have several seasoned politicians.
BNP leader Moeen Khan, elected from Narsingdi-2, is returning to parliament for a seventh term, having been elected for the first time in 1991.
Lawmakers returning for their fifth term include BNP leader Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain, elected from Cumilla-2, and BNP leader Amanullah Aman, elected from Dhaka-2.
