Tarique Rahman Assumes Office as Bangladesh's PM
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to Rahman and his 49-member Cabinet in a ceremony held outside the parliament building in the capital Dhaka, drawing foreign dignitaries and marking the end of an 18-month interim administration.
The swearing-in followed an earlier Tuesday ceremony in which 297 newly elected lawmakers — including members of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition — were inducted into the country's 13th parliament. The legislature was constituted following last week's historic general elections, the first held since the 2024 July Uprising that dismantled the 15-year grip of the Awami League on Bangladesh's government.
A Diplomatic Milestone
The occasion drew notable international attendance. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Pakistan's Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and UK Under-Secretary Seema Malhotra were among the foreign guests present alongside outgoing interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and his team.
Yunus and his caretaker administration, which assumed office on August 8, 2024 — three days after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India amid mass protests — oversaw the transition and organized last week's vote, delivering Bangladesh's first elected government in 18 months.
Awami League was barred from participating in the elections, clearing the way for the BNP and its allies to secure a commanding two-thirds parliamentary majority of 212 seats across the 300-seat legislature. Elections for three constituencies were postponed, while 50 seats reserved for women are to be distributed among parties according to their respective vote shares.
Record Turnout Signals Renewed Public Confidence
More than 127.6 million Bangladeshis were eligible to vote last week, with final turnout recorded at 59.44% — a sharp rise from the 41.8% logged in the Awami League-controlled January 2024 elections, which had been widely boycotted by the opposition. A simultaneous referendum on constitutional reform drew an equally robust response, with more than 60% voting in favor of the proposed changes.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
