Bangladesh gets its first male PM in 36 years today — Tarique Rahman to take oath

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman will take oath as Bangladesh's new Prime Minister at 4 pm on Tuesday, 17 February. His party secured a landslide win against Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh's 13th Parliamentary Elections.

Rahman's BNP bagged 209 out of 297 seats, while right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats. Deposed premier Sheikh Hasina's Awami League was barred from contesting polls.

Rahman will become prime minister for the first time. He replaces the interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, under whose tenure Dhaka's relations with New Delhi soured. Yunus took charge in August 2024, after Hasina's regime collapsed amid massive anti-government protests.

Bangladesh has not had a male prime minister since Kazi Zafar Ahmed left office in 1990, making Rahman the first in 36 years.

Tarique Rahman to take oath

Breaking with long-standing tradition, Rahman's swearing-in ceremony would be held at the South Plaza of the Parliament Complex rather than at Bangabhaban.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the new cabinet members at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad on Tuesday afternoon, state-run BSS news agency reported on Monday.

"The Parliament Secretariat is set to hold the oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet members at 4:00 pm tomorrow," Secretary of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat Kaniz Maula said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin would administer the oath to all newly elected members of the parliament.

All 297 newly elected lawmakers of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) will "first take oath as the members of parliament (MPs) and then as the members of the Constitutional Reform Council," said a press release of JS Secretariat.

BNP has called a parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament Building at 11:30 am to elect the parliamentary party leader.

"As the leader of the majority party, our party chairman, Tarique Rahman, will be the Prime Minister," said Salah Uddin Ahmed, a member of the standing committee of the BNP.

The Constitution dictates that immediately after their swearing-in, the BNP MPs will elect their leader, whom the President will invite to form the government, a Bangabhaban presidential palace official said on Monday.

Om Birla to attend

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of Rahman.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary-General of Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh are likely to accompany Birla.

The BNP has invited about 1,200 domestic and foreign guests to the event.

Maldives President Mohammed Muizzoo, Turkish Undersecretary Beris Ekinci and Sri Lanka's Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr Nalinda Jayatissa would be among those attending Rahman's oath ceremony.

'Two major challenges'

In a post-election press conference, Rahman called for "national unity" and "peace" in the national interest, warning that divisiveness would undermine democracy, news agency PTI reported.

He said the country faces a fragile economy, weakened institutions, and a deteriorating law-and-order situation.

"Our paths and opinions may differ, but in the interest of the country, we must remain united. I firmly believe that national unity is our collective strength, while division is our weakness," he was quoted as saying.

He said the new government faces two major challenges - tackling the economy and ensuring good governance.

Rahman's return

Rahman, 60, the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and BNP's founder, late President Ziaur Rahman, returned home two months ago after 17 years of self-exiled life in London.

His principal credentials are dynastic, but he has not held any public office so far. Analysts say his family background earned him a sort of political acumen.

When a journalist asked how he would reconcile with the millions of Awami League supporters, Rahman answered, "By ensuring the rule of law".

In response to a related question, he said there was "no room for politics of vengeance", warning that attacks based on political affiliation or differing opinions would not be tolerated.

Bangladesh Election Results

Bangladesh held the significant 13th parliamentary election on 12 February after a period of tumultuous political vacuum, instability and fragile security situation, including widespread attacks on minorities after the fall of the 15-year rule of Hasina.

Four candidates from minority communities, including two Hindus, all from the BNP, won in the elections.

Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, a member of the BNP's highest policy-making standing committee, and Nitai Roy Chowdhury, one of the vice presidents of the party, won their seats.

The third minority MP-elect is Saching Pru, a senior BNP leader and follower of the Buddhist faith, while the fourth minority candidate, Dipen Dewan, belongs to the Buddhist-majority Chakma ethnic minority group.

Hindus comprise approximately 8% of the population in the Muslim-majority country of 170 million people.

Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General and coordinator of the liaison committee of the 11-party alliance, AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, has said that they want to play a constructive role as an opposition party.