Tarique Rahman gears up for PM oath on Monday; invites South Asian leaders

Dhaka: Tarique Rahman is scheduled to be sworn in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Monday, leading a new government following his party’s landslide electoral victory.

Rahman, the chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), will take the oath of office alongside an initial group of cabinet members. Invitations have been extended to leaders across South Asia to attend the high-profile inauguration.

"As the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), will take the oath on Monday alongside his cabinet. South Asian leaders have been invited to the ceremony, and several invitations have already been sent," a reliable source told ANI on Saturday night.

A Change in Venue

In a departure from tradition, the ceremony will not be held at the Presidential Palace’s Durbar Hall. Instead, the proceedings will take place at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan (the National Parliament House).

Government officials stated the change was made to accommodate a significantly larger guest list than the palace could support. "Because many more guests have been invited to the ceremony, the Durbar Hall could not accommodate the large number, so the ceremony is being held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan," a senior official noted.

Regional Attendance and Diplomacy

The attendance of foreign heads of state remains fluid due to scheduling and the weekend holidays in neighbouring countries. While confirmations are expected by Sunday, officials anticipate that all invited nations will be represented at a high level.

"Invitations have been sent to the Prime Ministers of the South Asian countries, but they will confirm by Sunday who will actually attend," the source said. "However, each country will send a representative at some level, and if a Prime Minister cannot attend, the Foreign Minister will definitely come — this was indicated."

Cabinet Formation

Party insiders suggest that Rahman is currently finalising his list of ministers, though the first iteration of the government will likely be streamlined.

• Initial Phase: The cabinet taking the oath on Monday is expected to be small.
• Future Outlook: There are plans to expand the ministerial ranks at a later date as the new administration stabilises.

The transition follows the BNP's decisive win in the 13th National Parliamentary Elections, ending a two-decade hiatus from power for the party.

With inputs from ANI