Doly Begum () is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

politician who was elected to the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

in the 2018 provincial election. She represents the riding of

Scarborough Southwest Scarborough Southwest is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography It covers the southwestern part of the Scarborough part of Toronto. It stre ...

as a member of the

Ontario New Democratic Party The Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP; , NPD) is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. The party sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum. It is Ontario’s provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. The ...

. At 29, Doly Begum was the youngest New Democrat among the party's caucus and is the first Bangladeshi-Canadian to be elected to a legislative body in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Early life

Begum was born in the

Moulvibazar District Moulvibazar District, () also spelled Moulavibazar, or Maulavibazar, (previous name: South Sylhet) is the southeastern district of Sylhet Division in northeastern Bangladesh, named after the town of Moulvibazar. It is bordered by the Indian states ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. She immigrated to Canada as a child with her family, and was raised in

Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough (; 2021 Canadian census, 2021 Census 629,941) is a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated in the eastern part of the City of Toronto. Its borders are Victoria Park Avenue to the west, Steeles Avenue (Toronto), Steele ...

, attending W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute in the Clairlea neighbourhood of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. Thereafter, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

in political science, and a Master of Arts in development, administration and planning from

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

. Prior to her candidacy, she was Co-Chair of the Scarborough Health Coalition, Vice-Chair of Warden Woods Community Centre, a research analyst at the Society of Energy Professionals, and was the chief coordinator of the province-wide Keep Hydro Public campaign.

Career

In the

2018 Ontario general election The 2018 Ontario general election was held on June 7, 2018, to elect the 124 members of the 42nd Parliament of Ontario. The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, led by Doug Ford Jr., Doug Ford, won 76 of the 124 seats in the legislature an ...

, Begum ran as the New Democratic candidate for the

riding. The riding has a large immigrant population, constituting 45% of the riding's population, with Bangladeshi Canadians accounting for 16%. She won the riding with 46% of the vote, defeating 15-year Liberal incumbent

Lorenzo Berardinetti Lorenzo Berardinetti (born 21 October 1961) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2018 who represented the Toronto riding of Scarborough Southwest. Background Ber ...

, becoming the first Bangladeshi Canadian to be elected to a legislative body in Canada. As of August 11, 2024, she is the Official Opposition critic for Immigration Services and for International Credentials. Prior to that, she served as the Official Opposition Critic for Citizenship, Foreign Credentials and Immigration Services. Prior to that, she was the Deputy Opposition Whip from August 2019 to February 2021, the Critic for Early Learning and Childcare from August 2018 to February 2021 and a Member of the Standing Committee on Social Policy from July 2018 to October 2019. Her critic portfolio changed to Immigration Services, and International Credentials following the

2022 Ontario general election The 2022 Ontario general election was held on June 2, 2022, to elect Member of Provincial Parliament (Canada), Members of the Provincial Parliament to serve in the 43rd Parliament of Ontario. The governing Progressive Conservative Party of Ont ...

. In 2020, Begum introduced a private member's bill that would mark June as

Filipino Heritage Month Filipino Heritage Month is a month-long celebration in Canada that takes place every June. The work for the declaration of Filipino Heritage Month was started by Paulina Corpuz of Toronto, Ontario, through a petition. Through the sponsorship of ...

. The bill passed its final reading and received Royal Assent on May 20, 2021, officially proclaiming June as Filipino Heritage Month in Ontario. On July 13, 2022, Begum was named a Deputy Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, alongside

Sol Mamakwa Sol Mamakwa ( , Oji-Cree: ᓴᐧᓬ ᒣᒣᑫᐧ) is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election. He represents the riding of Kiiwetinoong as a member of the Ontario New Demo ...

Election results

Personal life

Begum was married to Bangladeshi-Canadian lawyer Rizuan Rahman until his death from cancer in September 2024.

References

External links

* Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs 21st-century Canadian women politicians Living people Women MPPs in Ontario People from Scarborough, Ontario Politicians from Toronto Bangladeshi emigrants to Canada People from Moulvibazar District Politicians from Sylhet Division 21st-century Bengalis Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario {{Ontario-MPP-stub