DHAKA: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister on Tuesday, marking a major political shift after his party’s sweeping victory in parliamentary elections.

Rahman, 60, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and assassinated President Ziaur Rahman, assumes office at a critical time as the South Asian nation seeks to restore stability and revive its economy following prolonged unrest.

The country was governed through the transitional period by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who oversaw the path to elections after the Gen Z-led uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024.

In a break from tradition, the swearing-in ceremony was held outdoors at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Bangladesh’s national parliament building, rather than at the Bangabhaban, the president’s official residence.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath as Rahman and his cabinet took office in the presence of senior political leaders, diplomats, civil and military officials, and representatives from invited countries including China, India and Pakistan.

Rahman’s BNP secured a commanding two-thirds majority, returning to power after nearly two decades. The Jamaat-e-Islami, contesting its first election since a 2013 ban was lifted following Hasina’s ouster, won a record 68 seats.

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Hasina’s Awami League was barred from contesting after the Election Commission revoked its registration. Jamaat and its allies, including the National Citizen Party led by youth activists involved in the uprising, are set to form the opposition.

Rahman’s rise caps a turbulent political journey. He returned to Bangladesh last year after 17 years of self-imposed exile in London, arriving shortly before his mother’s death.

Despite long-standing criticism from rivals over corruption allegations that he denies, Rahman’s return energised BNP supporters and reshaped the party’s campaign.

In his first remarks after the election, Rahman urged calm and restraint, stressing the need to maintain peace and law and order. He warned supporters against retaliation, saying chaos would not be tolerated as the country moves into a new political era.