Guwahati, Feb 15: Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath of office to the new cabinet led by Tarique Rahman on February 17 at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad, officials confirmed.
The decision marks a departure from established convention, as cabinet swearing-in ceremonies are typically held at Bangabhaban, the official residence of the President. A Bangabhaban official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ceremony would instead take place at the parliament complex.
According to media reports, the event will be followed by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin administering the oath to newly elected Members of Parliament. Ordinarily, the Speaker of the outgoing parliament conducts the oath-taking of MPs. However, under the Third Schedule of the Constitution, the Chief Election Commissioner is authorised to administer the oath in the absence of both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid had stated that the President would administer the oath in line with constitutional provisions but had not specified a date at that time. Preparations were to begin once the schedule was finalised. The Constitution mandates that the cabinet’s swearing-in be followed by the oath-taking of newly elected parliamentarians.
The process has been complicated by the prevailing political circumstances. A close aide of Rahman said the Speaker of the last parliament had resigned and was at an undisclosed location, while the Deputy Speaker is currently in jail. In such a situation, constitutional provisions allow for an alternative arrangement for administering the oath.
In a separate development, the public administration announced that the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has scrapped the contractual appointment of Cabinet Secretary Rashid. He has been replaced by Siraj Uddin Mia, who had been serving as Principal Secretary to Chief Adviser Yunus. Rashid told reporters that he had resigned earlier and that his resignation was accepted on Saturday. He had been appointed on October 14, 2024, for a two-year term by the interim government.
