Bangladesh entered a new political era as Tarique Rahman, Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as the 11th Prime Minister. The historic ceremony took place at the South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka, marking the end of 18 months of interim rule led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to Rahman and his 49-member cabinet, which includes 25 ministers and 24 state ministers, many of whom are “new faces” in governance.
Tarique Rahman took oath as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, after BNP’s landslide win in elections triggered by the student uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government.
As son of BNP founders Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, Rahman’s leadership of a 49-member cabinet… pic.twitter.com/O6yJEttZVc
— South Asia Watch (@MuhammadAli_PhD) February 17, 2026
Rahman’s ascent follows a landslide victory in the February 12 general elections, where the BNP-led alliance secured 212 seats in the 300-member parliament. The election saw a significantly improved voter turnout of 59.44%, up from the boycotted 2024 polls. While the BNP celebrated its return after 20 years, the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance took 77 seats, positioning itself as a “principled opposition.” Notably, the Awami League was barred from the contest, and its former leader, Sheikh Hasina, remains in hiding in India.
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Foreign dignitaries, including Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay, and India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, attended the event. In his first address, PM Rahman vowed to tackle the “fragile economy” and restore the rule of law.
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