Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister on Tuesday following a sweeping election victory that returned the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to power after nearly two decades.
The ceremony, held under the open sky at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka, marked a departure from tradition, as such events are typically conducted at the Bangabhaban, the president’s official residence.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to Rahman and his cabinet in the presence of senior political leaders, diplomats, civil and military officials, and representatives from countries including China, India and Pakistan.
Rahman, 60, assumes office after the BNP secured more than a two-thirds majority in parliament in the first national vote since the 2024 student-led uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Lawmakers were sworn in earlier inside parliament by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, pledging loyalty to Bangladesh.
The BNP and its allies won at least 212 seats in the 350-seat parliament, with elections held in 299 constituencies.
The Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, contesting its first election since a 2013 ban was lifted after Hasina’s ouster, secured 68 seats, and along with its allies will form the opposition.
Hasina’s Awami League was barred from contesting after its registration was revoked.
Rahman takes over from an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which governed for 18 months during the transition.
In his first remarks after the election, Rahman urged restraint, saying: “Peace, law and order must be maintained at any cost.”
He added: “We will not tolerate any kind of chaos.”
Rahman faces immediate challenges, including restoring political stability, rebuilding investor confidence and reviving key industries such as the garment sector after prolonged unrest.
He is also tasked with implementing the July National Charter, a reform package containing more than 80 proposed changes to the governance system.
More than 60 percent of voters approved the charter in a referendum held alongside the general election.
The document proposes term limits, a two-chamber parliament and restrictions on unilateral constitutional amendments by the governing party.
Rahman’s return last year from 17 years of self-imposed exile in London reshaped the BNP’s campaign and culminated in his elevation to the country’s highest office.