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Hasina's Awami League party was banned from contesting after its registration was revoked by the Election Commission.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.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have discussed regional developments, transport connectivity, energy c...
Southeast Asia remains the epicentre of scam centres running illegal online fraud schemes that target victims worldwide and generate billions of dolla...
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has chaired his first Cabinet meeting, pledging to make the cost of living his government's central priority...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 16th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
More than 500 people are feared to have died after two boats carrying mostly Rohingya refugees are believed to have capsized off the coast of Myanmar, according to the United Nations.
At least 44 people have died and more than one million have been stranded due to widespread flooding and landslides across southeastern Bangladesh, authorities said on Saturday (11 July).
Heavy monsoon rains triggered deadly landslides at Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, killing at least eight people, including children, and forcing authorities to evacuate residents from high-risk areas early on Monday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
At least six people were killed and 21 others injured after two earthquakes struck Peru's central Junín region, destroying dozens of homes and triggering a major emergency response.
Kylian Mbappé has become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot on more than one occasion. The French forward won the award presented to the top goalscorer of the tournament for the second time, despite France being knocked out in the semi-finals.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
President Donald Trump said the United States will target Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain site “pretty soon” as he meets with Lebanese president Michel Aoun. Meanwhile, U.S. forces carried out a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran while Tehran continues to target Gulf countries.
Southeast Asia remains the epicentre of scam centres running illegal online fraud schemes that target victims worldwide and generate billions of dollars annually. The UN estimates scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand reached up to $114.1 billion in 2025.
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has chaired his first Cabinet meeting, pledging to make the cost of living his government's central priority while signalling a broader effort to restore confidence in Britain's government and strengthen its international standing.
Iran is increasingly relying on its northern ports for imports, with officials saying more than 30% of goods now enter the country via Russia and the Caspian Sea rather than through the Indian Ocean.
Russian strikes hit multiple locations across Ukraine, setting a large hardware store ablaze in the northeastern city of Sumy and damaging a residential building in the country's east, as fighting between the two sides continued to intensify.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for setting up a foolproof public examination system in the country on Tuesday, a day after supporters of the youth-led "cockroach" movement and police clashed as they marched on parliament to protest against question paper leaks.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment