United News of Bangladesh

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on his first day in office on Wednesday laid out an ambitious reform agenda centred on institutional recovery, deregulation and broad-based economic participation. “Government’s ability to deliver depends fundamentally on the strength and efficiency of its institutions,” he said while speaking to reporters after assuming charge at the ministry. He said that state institutions are currently in a poor condition and require urgent attention. “Our primary problem (right now) is that the state institutions are in a very bad shape. We have to address this first. The institutions must be improved.” Amir Khosru stressed that restoring professionalism, transparency and efficiency within public institutions would be the first priority. According to him, without these core elements, even the most ambitious economic programmes would fail to produce meaningful results. “We have to bring professionalism into the institutions. We have to ensure transparency. We have to ensure efficiency. This is the most important issue,” he said, adding that in the absence of these qualities, no major initiative would work effectively. The finance minister described institutional reform as the ‘number one’ task before the ministry, underscoring that rebuilding governance structures is a prerequisite for sustainable economic management. Turning to broader economic policy, he said the country must move away from what he described as a patronage-driven economic model and instead democratise the economy. “The economy of Bangladesh must be for all people,” Amir Khosru said, emphasising the need for ensuring a level-playing field. Amir Khosru said every citizen should have an opportunity to participate in economic activity and to benefit from its outcomes, reiterating that wider participation in the economy is essential for inclusive growth. Ensuring that the benefits of economic growth reach every segment of society would be a key benchmark of success under his leadership. On regulatory reforms, the finance minister renewed his call for serious deregulation and liberalisation, arguing that Bangladesh has become an over-regulated country over time. Amir Khosru attributed this trend to years of patronage-based politics, which, in his view, resulted in layers of regulations that have increased the cost of doing business and limited fair competition. “Bangladesh has become over-regulated,” he said. “To make this successful, we must undertake serious deregulation. We have to liberalise and create a level playing field so that everyone has equal rights to participate in the economy and its benefits reach all.” Economy suffering from ‘overregulation’, says Amir Khosru The minister argued that excessive regulation often creates opportunities for corruption and rent-seeking, adding that rationalising the regulatory framework would reduce barriers, improve competitiveness and enhance investor confidence. When asked to summarise his priorities, he responded succinctly that the economy would remain his central focus, with institutional reform, deregulation and inclusive participation forming the core pillars of his agenda.

A day after taking oath, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will address the nation this (Wednesday) evening. He is scheduled to address the nation around 6:30pm, said Information Minister Zahiruddin Swapan. Tarique took oath as the 11th Prime Minister of the country on Tuesday as his party secured a landslide victory in the 13th parliamentary election held on February 12, winning 209 parliamentary seats out of 297. PM, new cabinet members also pay tributes to Zia, Khaleda President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Prime Minister and his new ministers at the South Plaza of Parliament on Tuesday. Apart from Tarique, the new government includes 25 ministers and 24 state ministers, with a strong presence of new faces.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his cabinet colleagues paid tributes to BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and its former chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday. After paying homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar, they went to Zia Udyan around 12 noon. Tarique, as the Prime Minister, first paid tribute to his parents by placing a wreath at their graves. Later, he, along with his cabinet colleagues, also placed another wreath at the graves, paying their homage, just a day after the formation of the BNP-led government. They also offered Fateha and a munajat seeking salvation for the departed souls of late President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the parents of Tarique Rahman. Earlier in the morning, the Prime Minister and the cabinet members paid homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War. Tarique took oath as the 11th Prime Minister of the country as his party secured a landslide victory in the 13th parliamentary election held on February 12, winning 209 parliamentary seats out of 297. PM Tarique, new cabinet members pay homage to martyrs in Savar President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Prime Minister and his new ministers at the South Plaza of Parliament on Tuesday.

The first cabinet meeting of the newly formed government is set to be held on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting will be held at the Cabinet Room of the Cabinet Division at Secretariat at 3 pm. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will preside over the meeting, according to Cabinet Division sources. On Tuesday afternoon, the Prime Minister, 25 Ministers and 24 State Ministers  of the new government were sworn in. Later in the evening, the Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification allocating portfolios among them. The Prime Minister  began his day by placing a wreath at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar in the morning ,paying tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War. After the homage ceremony, he is expected to arrive at the Secretariat around 1:00pm where he will formally begin work at his designated office for the first time. He will be introduced to Cabinet Division officials and attend a brief exchange meeting. The Prime Minister will chair a special meeting of the new cabinet members at 3 pm. Although no specific agenda has been fixed, the meeting is primarily expected to be introductory in nature. The Prime Minister will hold a views-exchange meeting with secretaries of different ministries.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War on Wednesday, a day after taking oath and forming the government following a massive victory in the 13th national election. Tarique, as the Prime Minister, first paid tribute to the martyrs by placing a wreath at the altar of the National Memorial at Savar, on the outskirts of capital Dhaka, around 11am. Flanked by his new cabinet colleagues, he also placed another wreath at the altar of the memorial. After laying the wreaths, they stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for the independence of Bangladesh. Tarique Rahman appointed PM, interim government dissolved A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from the three services gave a state salute, while a bugle played the last post on the occasion. Later, the Prime Minister signed the visitors’ book kept on the memorial premises. The newly elected Prime Minister also planted a ‘Parijat’ sapling on the memorial premises after placing the wreaths.  

Bangladesh marked a major political milestone on Tuesday as the interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, formally handed over power to a new administration under the leadership of Tarique Rahman. Accompanying this peaceful transition was a significant economic boost; the country’s foreign exchange reserves have crossed the $34.5 billion mark. Economic analysts view this surge as a positive indicator for the incoming government, providing much-needed stability as the nation enters a new democratic chapter. Arif Hossein Khan, Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, confirmed the updated figures. According to central bank sources, the primary driver for this increase is a massive spike in remittance inflows. Gross Reserves: $34.54 billion (as of February 17). IMF BPM-6 Calculation: $29.86 billion. January Remittance: $3.17 billion (the highest in a single month this year). February Momentum: $1.81 billion received in the first 16 days of the month. Central bank officials noted that expatriate Bangladeshis are increasingly using legal channels to send money home, significantly strengthening the nation's dollar holdings. Due to the surplus of dollars in the banking system, there were concerns about a sharp decline in the value of the US dollar. To maintain market equilibrium and ensure stability, Bangladesh Bank has been actively purchasing dollars from commercial banks. During the current fiscal year, FY2025-26, the central bank has purchased approximately $4.90 billion from the market. This marks a sharp reversal from previous years (2021-2024), where the bank was forced to sell nearly $34 billion to curb an unstable market.

Bangladesh’s newly elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will begin his first full day in office on Wednesday by paying homage to the country’s martyrs at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar. In the afternoon, he will chair the first cabinet meeting of the newly formed government at the Secretariat. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet senior administrative officials (secretaries) on the same day, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday. Tarique Rahman took oath as Prime Minister on Tuesday at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building, administered by President Md. Sahabuddin. Following his swearing-in, ministers and state ministers of the new government took their oaths, marking the start of the BNP-led administration after nearly two decades. Tarique Rahman sworn in as Prime Minister Invitations to the ceremony were extended to world leaders from 13 countries including China, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan. India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended as the official representative of New Delhi. Other notable attendees at the National Parliament South Plaza included outgoing Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus and members of the advisory council, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, Chief Election Commissioner, Supreme Court judges, MPs, political leaders, the heads of the three armed forces, diplomats, senior journalists, and top civilian and military officials. Tarique Rahman: From London exile to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister In the national elections held last Thursday, the BNP won 209 seats while its allies secured three. For the first time in Bangladesh’s history, the swearing-in ceremony was held at the National Parliament Complex South Plaza instead of the President’s House (Banga Bhaban).

The government has issued a gazette notification appointing BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, marking the dissolution of the interim government. The Cabinet Division had earlier issued the relevant notification. According to the gazette, under Article 56(3) of the Constitution, the President on Tuesday appointed Tarique Rahman as Prime Minister of the Government of Bangladesh. Another notification stated that the President, following the same constitutional provision, approved the decision to appoint the member of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad commanding the majority, Tarique Rahman, as Prime Minister and consented to the formation of a new government. Global leaders attend Bangladesh new govt’s oath-taking ceremony With the formation of the new government, the current interim advisory council is considered dissolved. Following the 13th parliamentary elections, the BNP secured more than a two-thirds majority and formed the government on Tuesday afternoon. The new cabinet comprises 50 members, including the prime minister, 25 ministers and 24 state ministers.

A few hours after being sworn in as Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman visited the graves of his parents on Tuesday night. Tarique, along with his family members, went to the grave premises of his father, Ziaur Rahman and mother, Khaleda Zia, in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area around 8:30 pm, said BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. He offered fateha there and performed munajat, praying for the salvation of the departed souls of his parents. Tarique Rahman: From London exile to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Earlier in the afternoon, Tarique was sworn in as Prime Minister at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Later, he exchanged greetings with the foreign dignitaries and guests who attended the oath-taking ceremony. He also held brief meetings in Parliament with some leaders who had come from different countries to attend the ceremony.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has been named the Leader of the Opposition in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad. Newly elected MP from Cumilla-11 (Chouddagram) and Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher will serve as the deputy opposition leader. Convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) Nahid Islam has been appointed as the opposition chief whip, while Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan has been made opposition whip. Jamaat MPs-elect take oath as members of parliament, CRC The decisions were taken at a parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday after the oath-taking of MPs, party sources said. Assistant Secretary General and Chief of Central Publicity and Media Department of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, told UNB. A joint press release from the 11-party alliance is expected to be issued soon to formally announce the appointments. Earlier in the day, Jamaat MPs took oath around 12:30pm, followed by MPs from the National Citizen Party. Members of the 11-party alliance also took oath to the proposed Constitutional Reform Council alongside their parliamentary oath.