Bangladesh oath-taking ceremony today: Time, venue and other details

The newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) in Bangladesh will be sworn in on Tuesday after the landslide victory of Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the 13th national election. The party secured 209 seats in the parliamentary polls, clearing the path for government formation.

 

Here are the details on when and where the Bangladesh oath-taking ceremony will take place, and the leaders expected to attend the swearing-in.

When will the oath ceremony take place?

The oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected MPs will be held at 10:00 am today at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will administer the oath.

 

 

Following the swearing-in of MPs, the majority parliamentary party will hold a meeting to elect its leader. The elected leader will then meet President Mohammed Shahabuddin to formally stake a claim to form the government, in line with constitutional procedures.

 

At 4:00 pm, President Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the new cabinet members at the South Plaza of Parliament. The President will first swear in Prime Minister-elect Rahman, followed by ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers. After the ceremony, the Cabinet Division will issue a gazette notification allocating portfolios.

Who will be attending Bangladesh oath-taking ceremony?

Preparations for the ceremony are underway, with around 1,000 guests expected to attend. Invitations have been extended to at least a dozen heads of government in the region, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and officials from China.

 

According to media reports, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Lok Sabha Secretary-General Utpal Kumar Singh are also likely to accompany him.

 

Among other international attendees expected at the ceremony are Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Turkish Undersecretary Beris Ekinci, Sri Lanka’s Health and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Nepal Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, among others.

BNP won Bangladesh elections

The BNP won 209 seats in the parliamentary election, which was held alongside a referendum. The Election Commission has published gazette notifications for 297 lawmakers, while the results in two constituencies remain withheld under court orders.

What does it mean for India?

BNP Joint Secretary General (international relations) Humayun Kabir earlier said that the incoming government intends to strengthen bilateral ties with India and other countries based on mutual respect and shared interests.

 

The relations between India and Bangladesh had turned sour after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.

Priorities of upcoming Bangladesh government

Speaking at a post-election press conference in Dhaka, Rahman said maintaining peace and law and order would be the top priority of the new government. He urged political actors to exercise restraint and stressed that no form of anarchy would be tolerated, calling for national unity in the post-election period.