Dhaka, February 18 Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman chaired the first meeting of his newly formed cabinet on Wednesday “to chart the course for the new administration,” media reports said.
Rahman, the chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday.
"The newly formed cabinet, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has begun its inaugural meeting to chart the course for the new administration," BDNews24 news portal said.
Rahman is presiding over the session, which began at 3 pm on Wednesday, his first official day in office, it said.
He is scheduled to hold a separate meeting with secretaries after the cabinet discussion.
Rahman, 60, will deliver his maiden address to the nation at 6:30 pm (local time), the state-run BSS news agency said, quoting a statement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The BNP leader, who became prime minister for the first time, replaced Interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, who had taken charge in August 2024 after the collapse of the Awami League regime.
Rahman, the son of late President Ziaur Rahman and former premier Khaleda Zia, returned home in December after living in London in self-exile for 17 years.
Along with Rahman, President Shahabuddin also administered the oath to 25 ministers and 24 state ministers on Tuesday at a ceremony, attended by several leaders from neighbouring countries.
Earlier in the day, Rahman paid rich tributes to his parents, President Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, by placing wreaths at their graves at Zia Udyan in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area at noon, the BSS said.
Later, flanked by the new cabinet colleagues, he also placed another wreath at the graves and offered prayers.
The BNP bagged 209 out of 297 seats, while right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats in the 13th Parliamentary elections held on February 12 after a period of tumultuous political vacuum, instability and fragile security situation. The Awami League was barred from contesting polls.
The result was a major turnaround for the BNP, long targeted under the 15-year rule of the Awami League government which collapsed following nationwide student-led protests in August 2024.
