DHAKA, Feb 17 — Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister today, marking a decisive political shift in the South Asian nation after his party’s sweeping parliamentary election victory.
Rahman, 60, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and assassinated President Ziaur Rahman, takes office facing urgent challenges, including restoring political stability, rebuilding investor confidence, and reviving key industries such as the garment sector after the prolonged turmoil that followed the Gen Z-led uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024.
An interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus ran the country through the transitional period leading up to the election.
Breaking with tradition, the swearing-in ceremony was held under the open sky at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the national parliament building, instead of the Bangabhaban, the president’s official residence where such events are usually organised. President Mohammed Shahabuddin officiated as Rahman and his cabinet took their oaths in the presence of senior political figures, diplomats, civil and military officials, and representatives from invited countries, including China, India and Pakistan.
Rahman’s BNP secured a commanding two-thirds majority, returning to power after nearly two decades. The Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, contesting its first election since a 2013 ban was lifted following Hasina’s ouster, won a record 68 seats.
Hasina’s Awami League party was banned from contesting after its registration was revoked by the Election Commission. Jamaat and its allies – including the National Citizen Party, led by youth activists who played a prominent role in the movement that toppled Hasina – will form the opposition. Rahman’s elevation caps a long and turbulent political journey. He returned to Bangladesh last year after 17 years of self-imposed exile in London, arriving shortly before his mother’s death.
Rivals have long criticised his political record, pointing to corruption allegations he denies, but his return energised party supporters and reshaped the BNP’s campaign.
In his first remarks after the election, Rahman urged calm and restraint, saying: “Peace, law and order must be maintained at any cost.” He called on supporters to avoid retaliation, warning: “We will not tolerate any kind of chaos.” — Reuters
Son of former PM Tarique Rahman sworn in as new leader after landslide election victory
