February 18, 2026 | 08:26 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman was officially sworn in as Bangladesh's 11th prime minister on Tuesday, marking the start of a new government elected last week.
As reported by Anadolu Agency, he was sworn in as the South Asian nation's 11th prime minister. Rahman is the first male prime minister since 1991 and will serve a five-year term.
The oath of office was administered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin in front of the parliament building in the capital, Dhaka, along with the swearing-in of 49 cabinet members. Previously, 297 lawmakers were sworn in as members of the 13th parliament.
The inaugurated lawmakers included representatives from the Jamaat-e-Islami-led bloc Bangladesh.
A total of 25 ministers and 24 state ministers were also sworn in during the ceremony, according to The Business Standard.
Technocrat Khalilur Rahman was appointed foreign minister, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury as finance and planning minister, while Tarique retained his defense portfolio.
The election was the first since a 2024 uprising toppled the Awami League government after 15 years in power.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several foreign leaders and dignitaries.
Among the foreign dignitaries in attendance were Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Pakistani Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and British Deputy Secretary-General Seema Malhotra.
Meanwhile, the head of the interim government, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, handed over power to the new government.
The interim government has been leading Bangladesh since August 8, 2024, after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country on August 5 amid mass protests.
Yunus and his team organized the election last week, which resulted in Bangladesh's first elected government in 18 months.
The Awami League did not participate in the election, while the BNP and its coalition secured a two-thirds majority with 212 parliamentary seats.
Of the 300 parliamentary seats, elections for three were postponed. In addition, 50 reserved seats for women will be allocated in proportion to party seats once parliament begins convening.
More than 127.6 million Bangladeshis are registered voters, with voter turnout reaching 59.44 percent, up from 41.8 percent in the January 2024 elections.
A simultaneous referendum on constitutional reform also received majority support, with approval exceeding 60 percent.
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