Bangladesh gets first woman speaker

Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury of the ruling Awami League was today sworn in as Bangladesh's first woman and the youngest speaker.
Chaudhury was sworn in as the country's first woman speaker this evening with President Abdul Hamid administering the oath of office to her.
Chaudhury, who was the state minister for women and children affairs until her election as the speaker of the Parliament, was elected unopposed as the country's first woman speaker by the Parliament.
Lawmakers in voice votes unanimously elected her.
In an unprecedented move, the Awami League Parliamentary Party last night announced her nomination, days after speaker Abdul Hamid took oath as the President relinquishing the chair in Parliament.

Women are now occupying several top posts in the country, including that of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Leader of Parliament.

A lawyer by profession, 1966-born Chaudhury came in limelight when she stood for Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a defence lawyer while she was undergoing trial on several charges during the past military-backed interim government.
The nomination of Chowdhury, meant her election was all but guaranteed even if the polls were contested by the opposition in the house where Awami League has three-fourth majority.
Her nomination surprised political experts as Deputy Speaker Shawkat Ali, an independence movement veteran having a background in army, was currently discharging duties as the Acting Speaker.

Chowdhury, the International Affairs Secretary of the Awami League, was elected MP from one of the parliamentary seats reserved for women in March 2009.
Her father Rafiqullah Chowdhury was a personal secretary and a close associate of Bangladesh's founder and former prime minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
On a Commonwealth Scholarship, she did her PhD on human rights and constitutional laws - 'Right to Life' - from Essex University in the United Kingdom in 2000.
Chowdhury is blessed with a son and a daughter with Syed Ishtiaque Hossain, a pharmaceutical consultant.