Independent candidates, who won the second highest number of seats in the general election, will explore the prospect of forming an alliance to serve as the official opposition in parliament, according to Faridpur-4 Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury Nixon.

The newly-elected lawmakers were sworn in at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The Jan 7 vote returned the highest number of independent candidates in the history of Bangladesh's parliamentary elections, calling into question the Jatiya Party’s position as the main opposition.

Independents secured 62 seats at the polls, nearly six times as many as the Jatiya Party’s meagre 11.

The Awami League is forming the government for a record-extending fourth term on the bounce with 222 seats that have given the party an absolute majority.

Typically, the second largest party in parliament by number of seats gets to be the official opposition and elect a leader of the opposition.

“Us independent MPs come from different political backgrounds. We have some time after the oath-taking ceremony and we’ll have a discussion. We’ll do whatever's best,” Nixon said before the oath-taking ceremony on Wednesday.

Underscoring a lawmaker's duty to act for the welfare of the public and the nation's development, he noted that Sunday's election was a true gauge of politicians who have devoted themselves to the service of the people. “The people in my constituency proved that.”

Voting was held in 299 of 300 parliamentary seats in the 12th national election. The outcome of a parliamentary race in Mymensingh was held up due to the suspension of results at one voting centre. The High Court suspended the results of the Dhaka-4 parliamentary race on Tuesday after the Awami League candidate for the seat made allegations of irregularities.

The Awami League secured an absolute majority as its candidates won 222 of 299 seats in the national election.

But the shock victories scored by independents have raised questions about the composition and role of the opposition in parliament.

Experts said the law in Bangladesh does not bar independent MPs from forming an alliance and choosing an opposition leader. In that case, the main opposition in the last two parliaments, the Jatiya Party, may lose the title.