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New Beginning: Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin swears in Tarique Rahman. Photo: Reuters
DHAKA:
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was sworn in on Tuesday to lead the first elected government since a deadly insurgency in 2024, facing a daunting list of challenges.
Top of the list for the 60-year-old Rahman will be improving security, healing rifts in a country polarized by years of bitter rivalry and tackling the financial woes of the world’s second-largest apparel exporter.
Rahman takes over from the interim government that has ruled the country of 170 million people for 18 months since the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina was toppled.
“I will faithfully discharge the duties of prime minister in the government in accordance with the law,” he said, sworn in by President Mohammed Shahabuddin, in a ceremony held outside the parliament building and broadcast on state television.
Rahman, head of the BNP and scion of one of the country’s most powerful political dynasties, won a landslide victory in the February 12 election.
“This victory belongs to Bangladesh, belongs to democracy,” Rahman said in his victory speech on Saturday.
“This victory belongs to people who aspire and have sacrificed for democracy.”
The new leader has promised to restore stability and revive growth after months of turmoil that rattled investor confidence in the world’s second-largest apparel exporter.
He has also called on all parties to “remain united” in a country polarized by years of bitter rivalry.
“We are about to begin our journey in a situation characterized by a fragile economy left by the authoritarian regime, weakened constitutional and statutory institutions and a deteriorating law and order situation,” he added in his victory speech.
After Rahman was sworn in, his ministers then lined up to take their oaths of office.
Lawmakers, who all pledged loyalty to Bangladesh, were earlier sworn into parliament by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin before the BNP members elected Rahman as their leader.
Rahman’s victory marks a remarkable turnaround for a man who only returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in exile in Britain, far from Dhaka’s political storms.
The BNP coalition won 212 seats compared to 77 for the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance.
Jamaat, which secured more than a quarter of the seats in parliament – quadrupling its previous best – has contested results in 32 constituencies.
But Jamaat leader Shafiqur Rahman, 67, has also said the Islamist party would “serve as a vigilant, principled and peaceful opposition”.
Hasina’s Awami League party was barred from participating in the election.
Hasina, 78, who was sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, issued a statement from hiding in India in which she condemned an “illegal” election.
But India hailed the BNP’s “decisive victory” – a remarkable turnaround after deeply strained ties.
Only seven women were directly elected, although a further 50 seats reserved for women will be allocated to the parties according to their share of the vote.
Four members of minority communities won seats, including two Hindus – a population that makes up about seven percent of Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
Despite weeks of turbulence ahead of the polls, election day passed without major unrest, and the country has so far reacted to the results with relative calm.
“If GDP can do a good job with the economy, it will make everything else easier for the government,” said Crisis Group analyst Thomas Kean.
“It will help to create a level of stability, to tackle the many other challenges beyond the economy.”
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Tarique Rahman on being sworn in as Prime Minister.
In a post on X, the President appreciated the role of the caretaker government in conducting a peaceful and fair election. He also conveyed his best wishes for the stability and prosperity of Bangladesh and expressed hope for stronger Pakistan-Bangladesh ties and regional peace.
Prime Minister Shehbaz also congratulated Rahman on assuming office. In a post on X, he wrote: “Warmest congratulations to Tarique Rahman on being sworn in as Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
“I look forward to close and meaningful engagements with my brother, to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation across mutually beneficial areas and to deepen the historic ties between our two countries.”
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also attended the swearing-in ceremony and represented Pakistan at the historic event.
