Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman was sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday (17 February), marking an important political shift in the South Asian nation following a period of turmoil.
Rahman, 60, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and assassinated President Ziaur Rahman, has taken office after his party’s sweeping parliamentary election victory.
He faces urgent challenges, including restoring political stability, rebuilding investor confidence and reviving key industries such as the garment sector after the 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 open-air swearing‑in ceremony was held at the South Plaza of the national parliament building, instead of the Bangabhaban, the president’s official residence.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin officiated as Rahman and his 49-member council of ministers took oaths in the presence of senior political figures, diplomats, civil and military officials, and representatives from countries including China, India and Pakistan.
The new government includes both senior and junior ministers - a mix of experienced BNP leaders and fresh faces, reflecting an effort to balance political experience with technocratic expertise as the government focuses on economic recovery, law and order and governance reforms.
Former Commerce Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury was named finance minister and Khalilur Rahman, who was national security adviser in the interim government, was made foreign minister.
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Hasina's Awami League party was banned from contesting after its registration was revoked by the Election Commission.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 (NCP), led by youth activists who played a prominent role in the movement that toppled Hasina will form the opposition.
Jamaat and the NCP did not attend the ceremony in protest after Rahman's party rejected the interim government’s request for its lawmakers to take an additional oath under the proposed 'Constitution Reform Council'.
The council intends to amend the constitution following the referendum held alongside the national election.
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.
U.S. President Donald Trump called Iran’s response to Washington’s latest peace proposal “totally unacceptable” a...
Australia confirmed it will repatriate citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with quarantine on arrival. Sp...
Afghanistan has signed a five-year gold mining contract with Afghan and Azerbaijani companies in a deal worth more...
Health authorities are grappling with a complex logistical and public health challenge following the emergence of a rare strain of hantavirus linke...
French President Emmanuel Macron opened France’s first-ever business summit in...
Reeling from macroeconomic shockwaves triggered by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, authorities in Dhaka have activated emergency national protocols aimed at sharply reducing domestic power consumption.
At least 24 people have died after a passenger bus plunged into the Padma River while attempting to board a ferry in Bangladesh, officials confirmed on Thursday. The accident happened on Wednesday at the Daulatdia ferry terminal in Rajbari district, around 100 km (62 miles) from Dhaka.
The Bangladesh National Party (BNP) won a decisive two-thirds majority in Friday’s (13 February) general election, a result expected to bring stability after months of turmoil following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a Gen Z-led uprising in 2024.
Bangladesh, South Asia’s second-largest economy, stands at a decisive crossroads. As voters head to the polls in a watershed election, the country faces a defining question: can it move from revolutionary upheaval to a stable, sustainable democracy?
Australia confirmed it will repatriate citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with quarantine on arrival. Spain, France are evacuating nationals as three deaths are confirmed. In the U.S., two passengers have been isolated after testing positive for the virus.
U.S. President Donald Trump called Iran’s response to Washington’s latest peace proposal “totally unacceptable” amid talks over ending the war and securing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. A cargo vessel near Qatar was hit by a projectile as Kuwait reported hostile drones in its airspace.
China’s leading chipmakers are funnelling unprecedented sums into research and development as Beijing accelerates efforts to reduce reliance on foreign technology amid intensifying U.S. export restrictions.
SOCAR has completed the acquisition of a 99.82% stake in Italiana Petroli (IP) from API Holding after receiving all required regulatory approvals.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has warned that France risks undermining the self-determination rights of the Kanak Indigenous People in New Caledonia amid proposed political and constitutional reforms.
French President Emmanuel Macron opened France’s first-ever business summit in an English-speaking African nation on Monday (11 May), as Paris seeks to strengthen ties across the continent following a decline in influence in several former French colonies.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attempt a political fightback on Monday (11 May) with a speech promising closer ties with the European Union after Labour suffered heavy local election losses and growing calls for his resignation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that three Polish nationals and two Moldovan citizens had been released from detention in Belarus and Russia, highlighting what he described as growing diplomatic cooperation with Minsk.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel aims to eventually end its reliance on U.S. financial military support within the next decade. The decision signals a long-term shift in the country’s defence policy as it seeks to deepen ties with Gulf states.
Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s billionaire former prime minister, has been released on parole from prison on Monday (11 May). Shinawatra served part of an eight-month sentence that capped years of legal battles, political turmoil and controversy surrounding his return from exile.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment