Bangladesh’s new cabinet to take oath on Feb 17 at parliament complex

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath of office to the new cabinet led by BNP chairman Tarique Rahman on February 17 at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad, officials said.

The venue marks a departure from tradition, as cabinet oath-taking ceremonies are typically held at the presidential palace, Bangabhaban.

A Bangabhaban official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the swearing-in ceremony would take place at the parliament complex on Tuesday.

According to reports in leading Bangladeshi newspapers, the ceremony will be followed by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin administering the oath to newly elected Members of Parliament. Under normal circumstances, the Speaker of the outgoing parliament conducts the oath-taking of MPs.

As per the Third Schedule of the Constitution, the Chief Election Commissioner is authorised to administer the oath in the absence of both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid had stated that the President would administer the oath to the new cabinet in accordance with constitutional provisions, though he did not specify a date at the time. He said preparations would be made as soon as the date and time were confirmed.

The Constitution mandates that the cabinet’s swearing-in be followed by the oath-taking of newly elected parliament members.

However, the process has been complicated by the current political situation. A close aide of Rahman, requesting anonymity, said the Speaker of the last parliament had resigned and was currently at an undisclosed location, while the Deputy Speaker is in jail. “In such circumstances, the Constitution provides a provision for the President to select someone to administer the oath,” the aide said.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, the public administration issued a statement saying that the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has scrapped the contractual appointment of Cabinet Secretary Rashid. He has been replaced by Siraj Uddin Mia, currently serving as Principal Secretary to Chief Adviser Yunus.

Rashid told reporters that he had resigned a few days earlier and that his resignation was accepted on Saturday. He was appointed on October 14, 2024, for a two-year term by the interim government.