The Election Commission (EC) may receive the official letter today (Sunday) to administer the oath to newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs), Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarker has said.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Anwarul said the Commission is fully prepared to conduct the swearing-in ceremony. “The Commission may receive the letter today. All preparations have been completed to administer the oath to the Members of Parliament,” he added.

Sources at the Parliament Secretariat said the oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected MPs is scheduled to be held on Tuesday morning at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The oath will be administered by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin.

Meanwhile, sources at the Cabinet Division said the swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet will take place at 4:00pm on the same day. President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the members of the Cabinet.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured an absolute majority in the 13th parliamentary elections and is set to form the government after two decades under the leadership of Tarique Rahman.

Voting in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections was held on Feb 12 in 299 out of 300 constituencies. 

On Feb 13, the Election Commission announced unofficial results for 297 seats. The gazette notifications for Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 constituencies have not yet been issued due to directives from the High Court.

According to the announced results, the BNP won 209 of the 297 seats. BNP-backed candidates are also leading in the two constituencies where results remain pending. BNP allies secured three seats.

Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 seats, while other partners of the Jamaat-led 11-party electoral alliance secured nine seats. Independent candidates won seven seats, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh secured one seat.