Bangladesh Swears in New Prime Minister and Lawmakers to Parliament

Bangladesh lawmakers have been sworn into parliament, following the country’s recent elections. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a majority of seats, with Tarique Rahman set to take the oath as prime minister later on Tuesday. Lawmakers pledged loyalty to Bangladesh during their swearing-in ceremony, which was attended by foreign dignitaries including the Pakistani foreign minister and the speaker of India’s parliament.

A separate ceremony is scheduled for 4pm (10:00 GMT) where cabinet members will also take the oath. Hundreds of people gathered outside the parliament grounds on Tuesday, awaiting the proceedings despite tight security measures in place. Al Jazeera reported that many attendees expressed a desire for change, citing the need for new faces and dynamics in parliament.

According to election results, the BNP won at least 212 seats out of 300, while the Jamaat-e-Islami party secured 77 seats. The Awami League was barred from participating in the polls due to its former leader Sheikh Hasina’s ousting. Rahman will lead an interim government that has been in place for 18 months and is tasked with implementing the July National Charter, a document containing over 80 proposed reforms to Bangladesh’s governance system.

The charter includes provisions such as term limits, a two-chamber parliament, and limitations on unilateral amendments by the governing party. Over 60 percent of voters supported the charter in a referendum held concurrently with the election. The changes are expected to have a significant impact on the country, particularly among younger populations who were involved in the July uprising.

Source: Al Jazeera