BNP Chairman Tariq Rahman led the alliance members to Parliament where they were administered the oath of membership of Parliament by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Naseer Uddin in Parliament’s oath-taking hall. file | Photo credit: AFP
Members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which won the recently concluded parliamentary elections, were on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) sworn in as members of the Jatiyo Sansad, the parliament of Bangladesh.
However, the 212 members of the BNP-led coalition did not take oath for the Constitutional Reforms Commission, as prominent members claimed that such a commission is extraneous to the law. The Election Commission of Bangladesh announced on Monday (February 16, 2026) that the swearing-in ceremony will include both the membership of the Parliament and the membership of the Constitutional Reforms Commission.
Bangladesh Tariq Rahman swearing in ceremony live updates
This morning, BNP Chairman Tariq Rahman led the alliance members to Parliament where they were administered the oath of office by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Naseer Uddin at Parliament’s Oath Hall.
However, minutes after taking the first oath, Mr Rahman led the MPs out of the hall for the first meeting of the BNP parliamentary party.
Related sources said that this meeting was held to finalize the cabinet. Earlier, BNP’s Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed announced that the party would not take oath for a Constitutional Reforms Commission as the oath of such a commission would be against the MPs’ oath to uphold the integrity of Bangladesh’s constitution.
Doubts were also cast on the composition of the Constitutional Reforms Commission, but factions of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami confirmed it The Hindu The entire Parliament was supposed to act as a Reforms Commission for 180 days.
Constitutional Reform Commission
The swearing-in was paused as members of the BNP took the oath with members of the opposition alliance, with reports that elected members of the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami are now reconsidering whether to take the oath in parliament.
Jamaat sources said that if the BNP abstains from the second oath-taking, aimed at turning the Jatiyo Sansad into a constitutional reform body, the party will be worried. After taking the oath, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmood Chaudhary said that the Constitutional Reforms Commission issue does not reflect the spirit of the current constitution of Bangladesh, “We took the oath as the people voted for us, we took the oath to respect the faith of the people, not that someone personally took the oath. It is the beginning of democracy in our country.” However, after an interval of about an hour, the alliance of 11 parties led by JI and independent candidates reached the parliament and took oath as members of parliament. A second oath was also taken for the Constitutional Reforms Commission.
July Charter
A twin oath process was devised to consolidate the results of the parliamentary elections and the referendum for a wider constitutional amendment by incorporating the ‘July Charter’ into the constitution. The July Charter was approved by the caretaker government in consultation with political parties on October 17, 2025, based on recommendations received for regime change in Bangladesh after the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5, 2024. Agreed.
Meanwhile, the BNP has indicated that it will go ahead with the swearing-in of the government on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) at 4 pm as earlier scheduled. The arrival of foreign dignitaries started from early morning. Among those who have already landed in Dhaka are Maldivian President Mohammad Muizzoo, who was received by the caretaker government’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Tauhid Hossain and Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary. Shri Choudhary met Special Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka.
Published – February 17, 2026 12:17 pm IST
