Doly Begum

Doly Begum (; born September 5, 1989) is a Canadian politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Scarborough Southwest since 2026 as a member of the Liberal Party. Previously, she was the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Scarborough Southwest from 2018 to 2026 and a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), serving as deputy leader from 2022 to 2026. She resigned as MPP and deputy provincial NDP leader in 2026 to run for the federal Liberal Party in the 2026 Scarborough Southwest federal by-election.

Early life, education and career Begum was born September 5, 1989, in the Moulvibazar District of Bangladesh. She immigrated to Canada as a child with her family, and was raised in Scarborough, Ontario, attending W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute in the Clairlea neighbourhood of Toronto.

Political career

Provincial politics In the 2018 Ontario general election, Begum ran as the NDP candidate for Scarborough Southwest. The riding has a large immigrant population, constituting 45 per cent of the riding's population, with Bangladeshi Canadians accounting for 16 per cent. She won the riding with 46 per cent of the vote, defeating 15-year Liberal incumbent Lorenzo Berardinetti. and is the first Bangladeshi-Canadian to be elected to a legislative body in Canada.

She was named the Official Opposition critic for immigration services and for international credentials on August 11, 2024. Begum previously served as the Official Opposition critic for citizenship, foreign credentials and immigration services, deputy opposition whip from August 2019 to February 2021, 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.

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

Federal politics On February 3, 2026, she announced her resignation from the Ontario NDP and the Ontario legislature in order to contest the 2026 Scarborough Southwest federal by-election as the Liberal Party candidate. She won the by-election on April 13 and was elected the member of Parliament for the riding of Scarborough Southwest.

Election results

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