Shirin Chaudhury nominated for speaker of B'desh parliament

Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, the first woman speaker of Bangladesh's parliament, was today nominated for a second term by the ruling Awami League.
"The parliamentary party of Awami League has nominated her for the position," a parliament secretariat spokesperson told reporters after a meeting of the ruling party's MPs.
The spokesperson said the meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also nominated Fazle Rabbi Miah as deputy speaker for the 10th Parliament.
The decision came hours after the Election Commission declared her elected unopposed in a parliamentary byelection in northwestern Rangpur.
The same constituency was earlier vacated by Hasina, who preferred to retain her seat in her hometown in southwestern Gopalganj.

Under the Bangladesh law, a candidate can contest parliamentary polls from as many as five constituencies but can retain only one.

Both Chaudhury and Rabbi are lawyers by profession.
Parliamentary secretariat officials said President Abdul Hamid is set to administer their oath of office tomorrow after the first session of the parliament which will formally elect them.
With the election of Chaudhury, Bangladesh would now have women as its premier, opposition leaders in the house and parliamentary speaker.
Rausha Ershad of Jatiya Party was earlier declared as the leader of the opposition.
Khaleda Zia, chief of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party which boycotted the January 5 polls, remains the most influential woman outside the parliament.

Chaudhury became Bangladesh's first ever woman speaker in April 2013 after her predecessor Abdul Hamid took oath as the president relinquishing the chair in the parliament.
Before her appointment as the speaker, Chaudhury was the state minister for women and children affairs and the International Affairs Secretary of the Awami League.