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Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman will take the oath as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, along with elected MPs, on Tuesday, as politics in Dhaka enters a new dawn following PM Sheikh Hasina's ouster in 2024.
Tarique Rahman, son of former PM, the late Khaleda Zia, led the BNP to a landslide victory in the general elections after returning from a 17-year exile. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh, the External Affairs Ministry said. The Speaker's participation at this important event underscores the deep and enduring friendship between the peoples of India and Bangladesh, reaffirming India's steadfast commitment to the democratic values that bind the two nations, the MEA statement read. Elected BNP MP Rashiduzzaman Millat told ANI, "The oath-taking ceremony for the parliament members will be held at 9:30 am at our parliament bhawan. At 4.00 pm, there will be another session for the ministerial oath. PM Modi and the Prime Minister of Pakistan will not be coming," the elected BNP MP told ANI on Monday. However, an uncertainty remains over whether elected MPs will take a second oath as members of a proposed constitutional reform council, according to Prothom Alo. Questions remain about whether the constitutional reform council will be formed immediately to implement the proposals in the July National Charter, Prothom Alo reported. Multiple sources from the BNP told Prothom Alo that the party believes it is appropriate to adhere to the existing constitution, which provides only for the swearing-in of MPs and contains no mention of a constitutional reform council or similar body. They argued that such an oath could only arise if it were incorporated into the constitution. The BNP also questioned the legal basis of the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order from the outset. In the February 12 elections, BNP secured a commanding majority in the 300-seat parliament, winning over 151 seats and positioning Tarique Rahman as prime minister-designate. Jamaat-e-Islami, previously an ally of the BNP, contested as a rival and emerged as the second-largest party, establishing itself as a key opposition force. According to the Bangladesh Election Commission, the BNP-led alliance secured 212 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami-led bloc won 77. Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League was barred from participating in the polls. (ANI)
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