Bangladesh oath ceremony: New MPs sworn, BNP declines second oath
BNP MP says they were not elected to Reform Council, provisions not yet in Constitution
What a whirlwind morning in Dhaka! On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the fresh faces of Bangladesh’s Parliament got sworn in by Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin. It’s the calm before the storm, with BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman set to take the prime minister’s oath right after—marking the first guy in decades to snag Bangladesh’s top job. Imagine the electric energy: confetti, cheers, and that mix of hope and nerves as the nation flips the page post-Yunus.
But hold on—not everyone’s clapping in unison. The BNP, unlike Jamaat-e-Islami, flat-out refused a second oath to join the shiny new “Constitution Reform Commission.” Why? “No provisions from this council are in the Constitution yet,” they argued, digging in their heels. Picture it like skipping dessert at a feast because the recipe’s not finalized. The referendum on February 12 sailed through with a big “yes” vote, turning the whole Parliament into this reform body for 180 days. Sounds ambitious, right? Rebooting the nation’s rulebook to fix old wounds from Hasina’s era. Yet, whispers of unease ripple through—how will MPs juggle lawmaking with constitution-tinkering without everything grinding to a halt? It’s like trying to renovate your house while living in it, furniture and all.
This swearing-in isn’t just a local affair; it’s a star-studded spectacle with about 1,200 guests jetting in. Bhutan’s PM Tshering Tobgay’s confirmed, rubbing shoulders with India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla—talk about neighbors showing up. Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal adds some spice, while Nepal’s interim Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma and Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa round out the SAARC flavor. Feels like a regional block party, doesn’t it? Amid Yunus’s recent northeast jabs and China flexes, these faces signal Bangladesh eyeing “strategic balance”—cozying up to all while testing India’s patience.
Tarique’s rise is personal poetry. Exiled for years, accused in graft cases (which he calls political hits), he’s now the man of the hour, reaching out to foes like Awami League ahead of the bash. BNP swept the polls after the uprising toppled Hasina, promising jobs, justice, and an end to authoritarian ghosts. But skeptics wonder: Will this constitution gig deliver real change, or just more elite haggling?
As Rahman steps up, Bangladesh buzzes with possibility. Streets alive with tea-stall debates, Hindu temples under watch amid minority jitters, and youth dreaming big. It’s messy, human—flawed leaders, fragile hopes. Yet, in this humid dawn, it feels like rebirth. Can Tarique bridge divides, heal wounds, and steer without the old pitfalls? With global eyes on, today’s oaths aren’t just ceremonies; they’re vows to a people weary of drama. Fingers crossed for steady hands on the wheel—because Bangladesh deserves its shot at steady glory.