Dhaka: Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin is set to administer the oath of office to the new cabinet led by BNP chairman Tarique Rahman on February 17 at the South Plaza of the National Parliament complex, officials said. This marks a departure from the tradition of holding the ceremony at the presidential palace.

"We have been informed that the President will administer the oath of office (to the new cabinet) on Tuesday at the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) complex," a Bangabhaban official said on the condition of anonymity on Saturday.

Sources said Bangladesh is in the process of inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other regional leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the country’s next prime minister on February 17.

It is understood that Dhaka has already conveyed its plans to New Delhi, reported PTI.

Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has indicated that leaders from several neighbouring countries will be invited for the event, though there has been no official confirmation so far.

However, Modi is unlikely to visit Dhaka as he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on the same day.

New Delhi may instead be represented by a senior government official at the ceremony, sources said.

According to reports by Prothom Alo and Ittefaq, the swearing-in ceremony will be followed by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin administering the oath to the newly elected MPs, instead of Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, as mandated by the Constitution.

Under the Third Schedule of the Constitution, the CEC is the third option to administer the oath in the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid had stated that, in accordance with constitutional provisions, the President would administer the oath at Bangabhaban, although he did not specify a date.

"If we are instructed or indicated that it will be held on a certain date and at a certain time, we will work accordingly. Even if it is tomorrow, we will have to prepare for tomorrow," he said.

The Constitution requires that the cabinet’s oath-taking be followed by the swearing-in of new members of Parliament.

Earlier on Saturday, one of Rahman’s close aides said the current situation had created complications.

"The speaker of the last parliament is supposed to administer the oath of office to the MPs, but she resigned and is living in an undisclosed location while the deputy speaker is in jail," he said.

Given these circumstances, he added, the President may appoint someone else to conduct the ceremony, as "the Constitution kept a provision for that".

Meanwhile, the public administration department announced that Muhammad Yunus’ interim government had ended Cabinet Secretary Rashid’s contractual appointment and replaced him with Siraj Uddin Mia, who currently serves as Principal Secretary to Chief Adviser Yunus.

Rashid, however, told reporters that he had resigned a few days earlier and that his resignation was formally accepted on Saturday. He had been appointed on a two-year contract in October 2024.

The 13th parliamentary election assumed significance as it was held after a period of tumultuous political vacuum, instability and fragile security situation including widespread attacks on minorities after the student-led protests brought down the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024 and three days later, Muhammad Yunus took over as the Chief Adviser of the Interim government, under whose tenure Dhaka's relations with New Delhi witnessed a significant downturn.