Dhaka: Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin will swear in the new cabinet of BNP Chairman Tariq Rahman at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Complex on February 17. The officers provided this information.

The interesting aspect of this ceremony is that it is being organized at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Complex whereas till now the swearing-in ceremonies have been held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. “We have been informed that the President will swear in the new Cabinet in the Parliament complex on Tuesday,” an official at Banga Bhavan (Rashtrapati Bhavan) said on condition of anonymity.

According to the news published in newspapers ‘Prothom Alo’ and ‘Ittefaq’, after the ceremony, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will administer the oath of office to the newly elected MPs, whereas according to the Constitution, this oath should be administered by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhary. A key aide of Tariq Rehman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the current circumstances have made matters a bit complicated.

He said, “The Speaker of the previous Parliament was supposed to administer the oath to the MPs, but she has resigned and is living at an unknown place, while the Deputy Speaker is in jail. In these circumstances, the President can choose someone else to administer the oath as per the provision set out in the Constitution.” Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid had said that the President will administer the oath to the new Cabinet in accordance with the Constitution, but he did not specify the date of the ceremony.