Bangladesh’s new prime minister to be sworn in after historic election win

Muhammad Yunus has stepped down arsenic Bangladesh’s interim leader, paving nan measurement for Tarique Rahman to return complete arsenic nan caller prime minister.

Mr Yunus, a Nobel laureate, returned from self-exile successful August 2024 to lead nan state aft a bloody wide agitation felled Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League authorities and sent her fleeing to India.

The erstwhile banker announced his resignation aft Mr Rahman’s Bangladeshi Nationalist Party won a landslide instruction successful nan first parliamentary predetermination since Ms Hasina’s ouster.

Mr Rahman, 60, nan boy of precocious premier curate Khaleda Zia, led his statement to triumph little than 2 months aft returning from a 17-year self-exile successful December. He will return his oath connected Tuesday.

Breaking pinch a long-standing tradition, nan swearing-in ceremonial will beryllium held astatine nan Parliament Complex alternatively of Bangabhaban, nan statesmanlike palace, and successful nan beingness of overseas leaders. President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer nan oath to nan caller furniture astatine 4pm section time.

Indian parliament speaker Om Birla, Pakistani readying curate Ahsan Iqbal, Sri Lankan wellness curate Nalinda Jayatiss, Bhutanese premier curate Tshering Topgay, and Maldivian president Mohamed Muizzu will beryllium successful attendance. British undersecretary of authorities Seema Malhotra is besides expected.

Mr Rahman’s statement bagged 209 of nan 300 parliamentary seats while Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist party, won 68 seats. Ms Hasina’s Awami League, victor of nan erstwhile 4 elections, was barred from contesting.

On predetermination time connected 12 February, Mr Yunus had declared nan juncture a ceremony akin to “a mega Eid”.

“Today, nan interim authorities is stepping down,” Mr Yunus, 85, said successful his farewell speech. “But fto nan believe of democracy, state of speech, and basal authorities that has begun not beryllium halted.”

He described Ms Hasina’s ouster arsenic a "day of awesome liberation".

"What a time of joyousness it was!” he added. “Bangladeshis crossed nan world shed tears of happiness.”

In summation to electing a caller government, Bangladeshi voters endorsed sweeping antiauthoritarian reforms successful a nationalist referendum held nan aforesaid day.

The referendum, which projected awesome changes to nan country’s constitution, was seen arsenic a awesome pillar of Dr Yunus’s modulation agenda.

It projected word limits for premier ministers, nan creation of an precocious location of parliament, stronger statesmanlike powers, and greater judicial independence.

“We didn’t commencement from zero, we started from a deficit,” Mr Yunus said. “Sweeping distant nan ruins, we rebuilt institutions and group nan people for reforms.”

After his victory, Mr Rahman visited nan homes of his governmental rivals, including Jamaat-e-Islami main Shafiqur Rahman and National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam, and held what were described arsenic cordial discussions.

In a property briefing successful Dhaka, Mr Rahman said his priorities would beryllium to amended rule and bid and grip a vulnerable economy.

“We are astir to statesman our travel successful a business marked by a vulnerable system near down by nan authoritarian regime, weakened law and statutory institutions and a deteriorating rule and bid situation,” he told reporters.