Bangladesh’s new parliament, cabinet to be sworn in on Feb. 17 after BNP landslide victory
Phan Tung, VOV’s correspondent in India -
(VOVWORLD) - Bangladesh's newly elected Members of Parliament and cabinet members are set to be sworn in on Tuesday, February 17, following the landslide victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the 13th national election.
 Tarique Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), attends a press conference, following the BNP's victory in the 13th general election, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 14, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain) |
The new executive body will be headed by BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman.
Rahman is currently preparing a personnel list for an initially streamlined cabinet to take charge of governance. Depending on practical needs, the BNP may later expand the cabinet. Following the cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony, newly elected members of parliament will also take their oaths of office. The inauguration ceremony is expected to be attended by high-level leaders from across South Asia.
In last Thursday’s general election and referendum, the BNP secured 209 of 297 parliamentary seats, accounting for more than two-thirds of the total. This marks the first general election since a student-led uprising in 2024 that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh late last year after 17 years of self-imposed exile in the UK and assumed leadership of the BNP shortly afterward, following his mother’s death after a prolonged illness.
Rahman is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and late President Ziaur Rahman, two figures with deep influence in Bangladesh’s political landscape.
Now 60, Rahman is leading the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Phan Tung, VOV’s correspondent in India