In a significant political development, Tarique Rahman was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Tuesday, becoming the first elected head of government since the turbulent 2024 uprising. He is also the first male leader to hold the country’s top executive post in 35 years.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at 4:00 pm at the South Plaza of the Jatiyo Sangsad in Dhaka, in the presence of nearly 1,200 dignitaries from Bangladesh and abroad. Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin administered the oath to the newly elected Members of Parliament.
Clear Electoral Mandate
Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a decisive victory in the 13th parliamentary elections, winning 209 out of 297 seats. The right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami captured 68 seats. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League was barred from contesting the polls.
Despite Jamaat-e-Islami taking an additional oath as members of the proposed Constitution Reform Commission, the BNP declined to do so, stating that the provisions of the council have not yet been incorporated into the Constitution.
International Presence
The swearing-in ceremony drew prominent international guests. From India, Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, attended the event, underscoring the importance of regional diplomatic engagement. He was received in Dhaka by senior officials of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh High Commission.
With a strong parliamentary majority and a newly formed cabinet, Prime Minister Rahman now faces the task of steering the nation of 170 million through political stabilization and governance reforms in the post-election phase.