TDS Desk:

The elected Members of Parliament (MPs) of the 13th national election are set to take oath tomorrow (17 February).

According to sources, the newly elected MPs will not only be sworn in as members of parliament but will also take a separate oath as members of the Constitution Reform Council on the same day.

The oath-taking ceremony of the new government will be held at 4pm at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka, breaking the tradition of holding the swearing-in at the Bangabbhaban. According to sources at the Secretariat, all necessary preparations for the event have already been completed.

Newly appointed Cabinet Secretary M Siraj Mia will conduct the entire event and President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the members of the new cabinet.

In a press release, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said that around 1,200 local and foreign guests are expected to attend the ceremony. Among the invited foreign dignitaries are Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Speaker of India’s Lok Sabha Om Birla, Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.

There is also a possibility that Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma and Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa will attend. According to party sources, the United Kingdom’s Indo-Pacific Under-Secretary Seema Malhotra may also join the event.

Yesterday, the Law adviser told reporters that foreign ministers of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member states have been invited to the ceremony. The swearing-in of the new government has generated significant interest in the political arena.

The dual oath underscores the new government’s emphasis on constitutional reform alongside legislative responsibilities.

Political observers say the move signals a structured approach toward constitutional amendments, placing elected representatives at the center of the reform process from the very beginning of the new parliamentary term.

Further details regarding the process and timeline of the Constitution Reform Council are expected to be announced following the swearing-in ceremony.