1,200 VIPs to grace BNP’s government swearing-in in Dhaka

Around 1,200 invited guests from home and abroad will attend the oath taking ceremony of the Bangladesh's new government, according to the Cabinet Division.

The event will be held at 4:00pm at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Tuesday (February 17).

All preparations have been completed for the swearing-in ceremony of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government, returning to state power after nearly two decades.

Earlier in the day, newly elected Members of Parliament will take their oath. Chief Election Commissioner will administer the oath at 10:00am, followed by the BNP selecting its parliamentary party leader between 11:30am and 12:00pm, who will become the next Prime Minister.

High-level representatives from South Asian countries will attend the ceremony, including Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan, Om Birla of India, and Ahsan Iqbal. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Maldives Foreign Minister Abdullah Khaleel, and Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa are also expected. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu may attend at the last minute.

From the UK, Indo-Pacific Minister of State Seema Malhotra will be present. Although India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited, he cannot attend due to prior schedules, and will be represented by Om Birla.

In the 13th National Parliamentary Election, the BNP won 209 seats independently and 212 seats in coalition, securing an absolute majority and formally paving the way to form the government.

The outgoing interim government held its final meeting yesterday to discuss the transfer of power and administrative continuity. As per tradition, the ceremony will host the Chief Justice, Supreme Court judges, service chiefs, senior politicians, lawyers, diplomats, and journalists.

Security has been tightened across the South Plaza, with separate arrangements made for foreign dignitaries following diplomatic protocol.