Dhaka, Feb 17 (NationPress) The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is poised to reclaim power in the South Asian country after nearly twenty years as the newly elected Members of Parliament gear up to take their oaths on Tuesday.

The swearing-in ceremony for the cabinet is scheduled to occur at the South Plaza of the Parliament Building, as reported by local media.

Furthermore, these reports indicate that the choice to hold the ceremony at the South Plaza, rather than the Presidential Palace, is meant to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during the tumultuous July protests of 2024.

This event is anticipated to signify a crucial political shift for Bangladesh as it embarks on a new chapter with the BNP's emphatic electoral success.

At 10:00 a.m., all 297 newly elected MPs will take their oaths, administered by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the Oath Room of the Parliament, subsequently joining the Constitutional Reform Council, according to a prominent Bangladeshi newspaper, The Dhaka Tribune.

Under the leadership of Chairman Tarique Rahman, the BNP has achieved a remarkable mandate in the recent parliamentary elections, setting the stage for the establishment of a new government.

Approximately 1,200 dignitaries from both Bangladesh and abroad are expected to witness the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government, which is slated for 4:00 p.m. at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building in Dhaka.

Notable international attendees include Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Pakistan's Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

Nepal will be represented by its Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, while Sri Lanka's Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa is also expected to attend the event.

Additionally, the UK's Under-Secretary for the Indo-Pacific, Seema Malhotra, is anticipated to be present. There's a possibility that Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu might also join the ceremony.

Invitations have been issued following standard diplomatic protocols, and confirmations from some invited nations are still pending.

The 13th parliamentary election took place on February 12, with the Election Commission releasing the official gazette notification for the winning candidates on the night of February 13.

Preparations for the oath-taking ceremony are already in motion at the Jatiya Sangsad secretariat. Traditionally, the ceremony is held in the designated oath room at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Voting was conducted for 299 out of the 300 seats in the 13th parliamentary elections, with unofficial results declared for 297 constituencies. However, the gazette notifications for Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 have yet to be published due to a directive from the High Court.

As per the announced results, the BNP secured 209 out of 297 seats, with their candidates leading in the two constituencies where results have been withheld. Their allies have claimed three seats.

Conversely, Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 seats, while the partners in the Jamaat-led 11-party electoral alliance secured nine seats. Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) claimed one seat, and independent candidates emerged victorious in seven constituencies, as reported by Prothom Alo.

As Tarique Rahman prepares to lead Bangladesh, a nation that hasn't seen a male Prime Minister in almost 35 years, experts caution that the country faces significant challenges in overcoming the unrest and rising Islamist extremism that characterized the 18-month tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.