Incoming Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman, lawmakers sworn into parliament

Lawmakers pledged allegiance to Bangladesh as hundreds of people gathered outside Dhaka’s parliament grounds.Published On 17 Feb 2026Newly elected Bangladesh lawmakers have been sworn into parliament, days after the Bangladesh-nationalist-party" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="5960" data-entity-type="organization">Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) swept the first vote since the 2024 student-led uprising that expelled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.Tarique Rahman will take the oath as prime minister later on Tuesday, as the BNP is expected to form a new government after securing more than a two-thirds majority in the elections last week.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Bangladesh will be better’: BNP victory puts nation at crossroadslist 2 of 3Tarique Rahman: From 17-year exile to landslide win in Bangladesh electionlist 3 of 3‘Very hopeful’: Cautious optimism among Gen Z Bangladeshis after key voteend of listInside the parliament’s oath room, lawmakers pledged loyalty to Bangladesh as they were sworn in by the Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin. Foreign dignitaries, including the Pakistani foreign minister and the speaker of India’s parliament, were in attendance.Cabinet members were slated to follow suit with another ceremony hosted in front of the parliament building at 4pm (10:00 GMT).Despite tight security, hundreds of people pooled outside the grounds throughout Tuesday to await the proceedings.“People really want changes. They want to see new faces in parliament: People with good qualifications, even people who are younger,” said Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from the capital, Dhaka.“You’ll see a lot of new faces, and that’s what’s expected: They want new dynamics in parliament.”The BNP won at least 212 seats in the 300-seat parliament, giving it a strong majority, while the Jamaat-e-Islami party won 77 seats. Hasina’s Awami League was banned from participating in the polls.Rahman will take over from an interim government that led the country for 18 months after Hasina’s ousting.