Tarique Rahman, the Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has been sworn in as the 11th Prime Minister of Bangladesh after his party’s significant victory in the 13th Parliamentary elections. Following his oath, other BNP leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and more, also took their oaths. The oath-taking ceremony was conducted by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at the South Plaza of the National Parliament in Dhaka.
The BNP’s cabinet, consisting of 50 members, comprises 25 ministers and 24 state ministers, with three technocrats. Notably, the cabinet includes new faces, with some leaders entering ministerial roles for the first time, following their successful election bids. All 209 winning BNP candidates were sworn in as Members of Parliament earlier in the day; however, they declined to take the Constitution Reform Council oath.
Despite the refusal of BNP members to sign the Constitution Reform Council form, other parties within the 11-party alliance, such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan, and National Citizens’ Party (NCP), initially declined to take parliamentary oaths. Nevertheless, the alliance, independent candidates, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh eventually took their oaths as MPs. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin administered the oath to the newly-elected MPs, marking the first instance in the country’s history.
Tarique Rahman, elected as the BNP leader, is set to assume the role of Leader of the House and Prime Minister. The 13th parliamentary election, held concurrently with the referendum on the July National Charter, saw the BNP secure 209 parliamentary seats, while Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 seats. Rahman, who won from two constituencies, vacated one seat for a by-election and took the oath as a Member of Parliament from another constituency.
Experts highlight the challenge of addressing unrest and rising Islamist extremism, prevalent during the 18-month tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, as Bangladesh welcomes its first male Prime Minister in nearly 35 years.
