Dhaka: Newly elected Member of Parliament from Barishal-1 (Gournadi-Agailjhara) constituency, Zahir Uddin Swapon, took oath as a minister and was assigned the charge of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Swapon secured his position in the 13th national parliamentary election held on February 12, running under the party symbol ‘Sheaf of Paddy’. This victory marks the return of the constituency to the BNP after an 18-year interval.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Swapon’s inclusion in the new cabinet has generated widespread enthusiasm among party leaders, activists, and local residents in his constituency. The locals have expressed optimism that his appointment will expedite development activities in the area. Swapon’s political journey began in student politics, where he served as the central president of Bangladesh Chhatra Maitree and played a role in the anti-autocracy movement of 1990.
In 1993, Swapon joined the BNP and gradually took on significant roles within the party. He was the founding convener of BNP’s Media Cell and has previously been the Information and Research Affairs Secretary and Assistant Office Secretary of the party’s central committee. He continues to serve as an advisor to the BNP Chairperson.
Swapon was first elected as an MP from Barishal-1 in the 6th national parliamentary election in 1996 and was re-elected in the 8th national parliamentary election in 2001. He also contested the 11th national parliamentary election in 2018 with a party nomination. With his recent victory, he enters parliament for the third time. As a lawmaker, Swapon was a member of the Public Accounts Committee and a Parliamentary Standing Committee, where he contributed to ensuring transparency and accountability in government activities.
On the international stage, Swapon has twice represented Bangladesh at the United Nations General Assembly. He also served as Vice-President (Asia Region) of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), a global network of legislators promoting human rights, the rule of law, and democracy. A postgraduate in Political Science from the University of Dhaka, Swapon possesses experience in political strategy formulation, policy analysis, international diplomatic engagement, and parliamentary affairs.