Dhaka (TDI): Bangladesh’s prime minister-elect Tarique Rahman and newly elected lawmakers took their oaths on Tuesday, becoming the first representatives to be sworn in since the deadly 2024 uprising that toppled the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina.
Rahman, 60, chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and scion of one of Bangladesh’s most influential political families, won a landslide victory in the February 12 elections. The swearing-in ceremony, administered by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, formally installed lawmakers who pledged loyalty to the country.
Following the parliamentary ceremony, BNP legislators are expected to elect Rahman as their party leader, after which President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath of office to the prime minister and his cabinet later Tuesday afternoon.
In his victory speech on Saturday, Rahman hailed the win as “a victory for Bangladesh, a victory for democracy,” and paid tribute to citizens who had “aspired to and sacrificed for democracy.” He also cautioned that significant challenges lie ahead, including reviving the economy of the world’s second-largest garment exporter, restoring weakened institutions, and stabilising law and order.
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“This is a fragile economy left behind by the authoritarian regime, with weakened constitutional and statutory institutions and a deteriorating law and order situation,” Rahman said. He pledged to restore stability, revive growth, and called for political unity in a country long polarised by intense rivalries.
Rahman’s return to power comes just two months after he returned to Bangladesh from a 17-year exile in Britain. His BNP-led coalition secured 212 seats, while the Jamaat-i-Islami alliance won 77 seats. Jamaat has challenged results in 32 constituencies, but its leader Shafiqur Rahman has promised to act as a “vigilant, principled, and peaceful opposition.”
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The Awami League, led by Hasina, was barred from participating. Hasina, sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, denounced the elections as “illegal” in a statement issued from India. Despite her condemnation, India commended the BNP’s decisive victory, signaling a potential improvement in bilateral relations.
Only seven women were directly elected, with 50 additional reserved seats to be allocated proportionally to parties. Four members of minority communities, including two Hindus, also won seats.
Despite weeks of pre-election turbulence, the polling day passed largely peacefully, and the country has so far responded to the results with relative calm. Analysts say that economic performance will be crucial for the new government’s ability to stabilize the nation and address broader challenges.
