BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman Sworn In as New Prime Minister of Bangladesh After Mass Uprising
Dhaka, Bangladesh | February 17, 2026 | The Global Journal
A new chapter has begun in Bangladesh’s political landscape following the 2024 student-led mass uprising. Tarique Rahman has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh. He took the oath alongside other newly elected lawmakers just days after his party’s landslide victory.
The swearing-in ceremony was held outside the parliament building in the capital, Dhaka, and was broadcast live on television. President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath. After taking office, Rahman said, “I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Prime Minister in accordance with the law.”
In last week’s national election, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured more than a two-thirds majority, achieving a commanding victory. Voting was held in 299 constituencies out of the 350-seat parliament. The BNP and its allies won at least 212 seats. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies secured 77 seats. The Bangladesh Awami League was barred from participating in the election.
Earlier, in the parliament’s oath room, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin administered the oath to the newly elected members of parliament, who pledged loyalty to Bangladesh.
Foreign dignitaries, including the Pakistani foreign minister and the Speaker of the Indian Parliament, were present at the ceremony. Cabinet members were also scheduled to be sworn in the same day.
Despite tight security, hundreds of people gathered outside the parliament grounds to witness the historic moment.
According to Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from Dhaka for Al Jazeera, the public—especially the younger generation—is expecting meaningful change. “People want to see new faces in parliament—qualified and young representatives. They want new political dynamics,” he said.
Following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the 2024 uprising, an interim government led the country for 18 months. Rahman is now taking over from that administration.
One of the new government’s key challenges will be implementing the “July National Charter,” which contains more than 80 proposed reforms to Bangladesh’s governance system. The charter was approved by over 60 percent of voters in a referendum held alongside the general election.
The sweeping document includes provisions for term limits for the prime minister, the introduction of a bicameral parliament, and restrictions on the ruling party’s ability to amend the constitution unilaterally.
Political analysts say that the public—particularly the youth who led the uprising—are now expecting fundamental reforms. Whether the new government can fulfill those expectations remains the central question in Bangladesh’s evolving political landscape.
