Doly Begum

Begum was born September 5, 1989, in the Moulvibazar District of Bangladesh.^[1] She immigrated to Canada as a child with her family,^[2] and was raised in Scarborough, Ontario, attending W. A. Porter Collegiate Institute in the Clairlea neighbourhood of Toronto.^[1]

She obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in political science, and a Master of Arts in development, administration and planning from University College London. 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.^[3]

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.^[1] At 29, Doly Begum was the youngest member of her party's caucus^[4] and is the first Bangladeshi-Canadian to be elected to a legislative body in Canada.^[5]

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,^[6] 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.^[7] The bill passed its final reading and received Royal Assent on May 20, 2021, officially proclaiming June as Filipino Heritage Month in Ontario.^[8]

On July 13, 2022, Begum was named a deputy leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, alongside Sol Mamakwa.^[9]

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.^[10] She won the by-election on April 13 and was elected the member of Parliament for the riding of Scarborough Southwest.^[11]