By Uzma Ehtasham
Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister on Tuesday, marking a dramatic political shift after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party secured a commanding parliamentary majority. His ascent to office signals not merely a change of administration but a reordering of a political landscape unsettled by years of confrontation, protest and institutional strain. Rahman assumes leadership at a moment charged with expectation. Bangladesh, long lauded for steady economic growth and the dynamism of its garment exports, now finds itself seeking renewed political equilibrium and investor confidence. The symbolism of the swearing-in was unmistakable. Breaking with precedent, the ceremony was held not at Bangabhaban but under the open sky of the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath before a gathering of political leaders, diplomats, military officials and international delegations, including representatives from China, Pakistan and India. The setting conveyed a deliberate message: a new chapter, public and unguarded, in the nation’s political life. The scale of the mandate is striking. The BNP’s return to power after nearly two decades was secured with a two-thirds majority, reshaping the parliamentary arithmetic. The Jamaat-e-Islami, contesting its first election since a 2013 ban was lifted following the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina in 2024, captured 68 seats — its strongest showing to date. Hasina’s Awami League, once the dominant force in Bangladeshi politics, was barred from contesting after its registration was revoked by the Election Commission.
The result is a legislature transformed, with new alignments and revived actors occupying the benches. Rahman’s own trajectory adds further drama. After 17 years in self-imposed exile in London, he returned to Bangladesh last year shortly before his mother’s death, reinvigorating party loyalists and recalibrating the BNP’s campaign strategy. His re-emergence lent the party a focal point around which to consolidate disparate strands of opposition. In his first remarks following the election, he struck a conciliatory tone, urging calm and restraint and insisting that peace and law and order must be maintained at any cost. Supporters were cautioned against retaliation, an acknowledgment that political transition in Bangladesh has too often been shadowed by unrest.
Analysts describe his opening posture as a careful balancing act. A decisive mandate confers authority, yet it also magnifies responsibility. Bangladesh is still adjusting to the upheavals that culminated in the fall of Sheikh Hasina. Institutional trust, strained by years of polarization, requires rebuilding. The incoming government must demonstrate that electoral dominance will not translate into exclusionary governance. The durability of the emerging political order will depend less on parliamentary numbers than on the restoration of procedural fairness and inclusive dialogue. Economic management looms as the most immediate test. Bangladesh’s garment sector, the backbone of its export economy, has weathered global headwinds and domestic turbulence. Reviving investor confidence will require regulatory clarity, infrastructure reliability and political stability.
International markets respond swiftly to signals of uncertainty. A government that can reassure trading partners and financial institutions of continuity and reform will find itself better positioned to stabilize currency pressures and attract capital. Against this backdrop, regional diplomacy is likely to assume renewed importance. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal met Rahman in Dhaka, extending an invitation for him to visit Pakistan and emphasizing the need to strengthen bilateral ties. Their discussion centered on enhancing cooperation to promote peace, stability and shared prosperity in South Asia. Both sides floated the idea of reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation as a vehicle for improved connectivity and a more coherent geo-economic vision.
The lament that historical conflicts have stunted regional integration is a familiar one, yet it remains pertinent. South Asia continues to be one of the least economically integrated regions in the world. Among the proposals discussed was the establishment of a “Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor”, designed to foster academic, research and technological collaboration. Twin-university arrangements, faculty and student exchanges and scholarship programmes were outlined, with 500 scholarships envisaged and dozens of students already proceeding for higher education. There were also conversations about cooperation in digital governance, data systems and institutional capacity building, including potential exchanges between statistical authorities and national registration bodies.
Dhaka’s foreign policy has historically sought equilibrium rather than alignment. Sustaining that approach amid shifting geopolitical currents will demand diplomatic finesse. The swearing-in at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban may have been staged beneath an open sky, but the horizon ahead is complex. A commanding parliamentary majority offers scope for decisive action. It also raises the stakes. Bangladesh stands at a juncture where political renewal must translate into institutional strengthening and economic reassurance. The electorate has delivered a clear verdict. Whether it ushers in durable stability or merely another turn in a cycle of contestation will depend on how power is exercised in the months to come.
(The writer is a public health professional, journalist, and possesses expertise in health communication, having keen interest in national and international affairs, can be reached at uzma@metro-morning.com)
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