Dr Shirin Sharmin re-elected speaker for 4th time

Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has been elected as the speaker of parliament for the fourth time in a row.

The attending lawmakers of the newly formed 12th parliament unanimously elected Dr Shirin, who was the sole candidate, by verbal votes after Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader nominated her with the support of AL Chief Whip Nur-E-Alam Chowdhury.

The members of parliament, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, shouted "yes" in favour of the proposal presided over by the 11th parliament’s Deputy Speaker Md. Shamsul Haque Tuku.

As the first woman speaker of the parliament, this is her fourth term.

The first session of the new parliament began at 3pm on Tuesday presided by Deputy Speaker Md. Shamsul Haque Tuku.

Shirin Sharmin became Bangladesh’s first woman speaker in 2013, towards the end of ninth parliament.

A lawyer by profession, Shirin Sharmin was born in Dhaka on Oct 6 of 1966.

Her father Rafiqullah Chaudhury was personal secretary to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and her mother Prof Naiyar Sultana was a member of Bangladesh Public Service Commission.