New Government Set to Take Oath Next Week

The interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus is moving forward with the goal of quickly transferring power to the elected representatives. According to the government's policy decision, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin may administer the oath to the newly elected members of parliament. In that case, the oath-taking ceremony may take place next Monday or Tuesday. There is a possibility that the new prime minister and cabinet members will also take the oath on the same day.

Sources in the office of the chief advisor said that it may take three to four days to complete the formal preparations for the transfer of power after the publication of the election gazette. After that period, plans are underway to organize the oath-taking ceremony through the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

According to the constitution, the outgoing speaker is supposed to administer the oath to the newly elected members of parliament. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury is in charge of this responsibility. However, the matter has become uncertain as she has not appeared in public since her resignation. According to the rules, if the speaker does not administer the oath within three days, the CEC can perform this duty within the next three days.

The alternative constitutional path has also become complicated due to the fact that outgoing Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku is in prison in the murder case. If either the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is absent from duty, the Speaker has a provision to administer the oath through a person nominated by the Speaker. However, sources said that there is a negative attitude in the political arena regarding this issue as well.

According to legal analysts, the issue of the oath is not only a constitutional process, but also the context of this election is important here. According to Article 123(3) of the Constitution, the election was supposed to be held within the specified time frame for the dissolution of parliament, but this time the election was held outside that framework.

According to the concerned quarters, the same way the election has been organized in the changed political reality, the issue of the oath can also be resolved on the basis of political consensus. If the parties agree to an alternative proposal, it may pave the way for organizing the oath ceremony without waiting for three days.

The election schedule was announced almost a year and a half after the government fell after the mass uprising on August 5, 2024 and the dissolution of parliament on August 6. Voting was held in 299 out of 300 seats in the 13th National Parliament election on February 12 and the Election Commission has announced unofficial results for 297. The gazette publication of two seats is suspended due to the High Court's directive.

According to the announced results, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party won 209 seats. Their allies won three more seats. On the other hand, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 seats and the alliance partners led by them won nine seats.