Canada elects 1st BD-origin federal MP

Doly Begum has become the first politician of Bangladeshi origin to be elected as a federal Member of Parliament in Canada, marking a notable development in the country’s evolving political landscape.

The former New Democrat Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Scarborough Southwest secured a decisive victory in the constituency’s federal by-election held on 13 April, according to reports by CBC. She is now set to take her seat in Ottawa.

The by-election formed part of a broader electoral outcome in which Liberal candidates won all three contested seats, bringing the party’s total to 174 — above the 172 required to secure a parliamentary majority.

Addressing supporters following her victory, Begum said: “Tonight, we celebrate something so powerful … a community coming together, putting aside their differences to choose hope, compassion, and progress.”

Begum secured close to 70 per cent of the vote, although voter turnout remained relatively low, with only around one-third of eligible voters participating in the by-election.

Her transition to federal politics follows a relatively rapid rise within the New Democratic Party (NDP). Elected to provincial office in 2018 at the age of 29, she was the youngest member of her party’s caucus at the time and later went on to serve as deputy party leader.

Her election is expected to draw attention to the growing representation of diaspora communities within Canada’s federal political system, with potential implications for broader engagement in economic, social and policy discourse.