Bangladesh’s Prime Minister-Designate, Newly Elected MPs Take Oath

DHAKA: Members of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) of Bangladesh took oath on Tuesday, including Prime Minister-designate Tarique Rahman, paving the way for him to assume the office of prime minister.

According to reports, the oath was administered by Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin to the newly elected lawmakers. Tarique Rahman, who is also the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), took oath as a member of parliament.

Following the oath-taking, members of parliament will cast their votes to formally elect the prime minister, after which Tarique Rahman — son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia — is expected to take oath as the country’s new premier.

The oath-taking ceremony for the prime minister and the federal cabinet is scheduled to be held later in the evening, with both domestic and international dignitaries in attendance. Representing Pakistan at the ceremony will be Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, who will attend in place of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and is also expected to hold key meetings with senior Bangladeshi officials.

In the recent general elections, the BNP and its allies secured 212 seats, achieving a two-thirds majority in parliament and clearing the path for government formation. Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh emerged as the second-largest party with 68 seats, while the student-led National Citizens Party (NCP) won six seats.

Earlier, interim leader Muhammad Yunus addressed the nation, announcing that the caretaker government would step down as the newly elected government was set to assume power. He said voters and political parties had set an example in the general elections and expressed hope that democratic continuity, freedom of expression, and fundamental rights would be upheld in Bangladesh.

The interim administration had been in place for nearly 18 months. During this period, Muhammad Yunus led the transitional phase following the end of Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024, oversaw general elections, and conducted a referendum on constitutional reforms in response to demands raised by Generation Z.