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Dhaka, Feb 17: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, is set to formally return to power on Tuesday after nearly two decades in opposition. Following a sweeping victory in the February 12 parliamentary election, party chair Tarique Rahman, elected to parliament for the first time, will be sworn in as prime minister.

The oath ceremony will take place at the South Plaza of the parliament building. Breaking with the long-standing tradition of holding the event at the presidential palace, the venue shift is meant to honor those killed during the 2024 Monsoon Revolution, the uprising that ended the Awami League’s longest stint in office.

Tuesday will mark the formal start of the new parliamentary term and government formation process. At 10 am, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will administer the oath to 297 newly elected lawmakers in the parliament’s oath room. They will then assume membership in the Constitutional Reform Council.

BNP lawmakers, led by Rahman, will take the oath first, followed by members from Jamaat e Islami Bangladesh and other parties. Official results show the BNP winning 209 seats. Its allies, Gan Adhikar Parishad and Bangladesh Jatiya Party, secured one seat each, while Ganosamhati Andolan also gained representation.

With 68 seats, Jamaat e Islami Bangladesh has emerged as the main opposition, alongside smaller partners. Seven independent candidates also won.

The Election Commission earlier published results for 297 of the 299 constituencies. Results in Chattogram 2 and Chattogram 4 remain pending due to legal issues, while voting in Sherpur 3 was postponed after the death of a Jamaat candidate.

At 4 pm, President Mohammed Shahabuddin will swear in the new council of ministers at South Plaza. Around 1,000 guests, including foreign dignitaries, are expected to attend.

People’s News Monitoring Service