Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and son of former premier Khaleda Zia, is set to be sworn in as Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister on Tuesday after leading his party to a decisive victory in last week’s general elections.
Breaking from tradition, the swearing-in ceremony will be held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) Complex rather than at Bangabhaban. President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to Rahman and his cabinet members. Members of Parliament will take their oaths earlier in the day at 10:00 am, followed by the BNP parliamentary party meeting at 11:30 am to formally elect Rahman as parliamentary leader.
“As the leader of the majority party, Tarique Rahman will be the Prime Minister,” confirmed BNP standing committee member Salah Uddin Ahmed.
International dignitaries attending include India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary-General of Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh, as well as Maldives President Mohammed Muizzoo, Turkish Undersecretary Beris Ekinci, and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
Election outcome:
Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election, held on February 12, followed a period of political instability after student-led protests ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule in August 2024. Hasina’s Awami League was barred from contesting. Voter turnout was 59.44%. According to the Election Commission, the BNP won 209 of 297 seats, while the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats.
Rahman, who will become Bangladesh’s first male Prime Minister since 1991, has visited the homes of key political rivals, including Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman and National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam, reportedly holding cordial discussions. He will succeed interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, under whose tenure Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi had notably cooled.
Comments are closed.