Bangladesh invites top diplomats of S.Asian nations for government swearing-in ceremony

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladesh has invited top diplomats of South Asian nations for a new government ceremony in the capital Dhaka after new lawmakers were elected in last week's general elections, officials announced Sunday.

The newly elected lawmakers and Cabinet members will be sworn in on Tuesday, ushering in the first new parliament following the 2024 uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will swear in new lawmakers, and the president will do the same for the new Cabinet.

In line with tradition, guests, among them the foreign ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) members -- including Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and others -- have been invited to the swearing-in to be held in front of the parliament building.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which secured a two-thirds majority in Thursday's election with 209 seats in the 300-seat parliament, will form the government with party leader Tarique Rahman to become prime minister.

In Thursday's election, the BNP got 49.97% of the vote while the Jamaat-e-Islami party-led alliance Jamaat got 31.76%, according to the country's election commission.

Jamaat ally the National Citizen Party (NCP), the youth group that led the 2024 uprising, got 3.5% of the vote.

- Jamaat seeks recount for 32 seats, announces protests

After securing 77 seats, the Jamaat alliance accepted the results overall but claimed some irregularities in the process.

Jamaat said Sunday that they are seeking a recount in 32 constituencies over alleged irregularities and counting manipulation.

Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad told reporters that they saw irregularities during the voting, adding: “There is a demand for revaluation in 32 seats. We will follow the legal process.”

He also announced protests for Monday, saying: “We will take the oaths of office, go to parliament, and play a constructive role. At the same time, the streets will also be open for us.”

More than 127.6 million people in Bangladesh were eligible to cast ballots, and the country saw a voter turnout of 59.44%, up from 41.8% in the January 2024 elections.

Results in three seats were held up or suspended, two due to court orders and one due to the death of a candidate.

The commission also published the results of the Thursday referendum on constitutional reforms, with votes in its favor exceeding 60%.

In a rare political gesture, Rahman visited Jamaat Ameer chief Shafiqur Rahman at his residence in Dhaka on Sunday. Some top leaders from the both parties were present and discussed issues, including post-election developments.

Rahman is scheduled to hold another such visit to NCP chief Nahid Islam, a key figure of the 2024 upspring, at his Dhaka residence.