President-elect Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has arrived at Bangabhaban to take oath as the country’s president.
His motorcade entered Bangabhaban at around 5:50pm on Friday.
Tight security measures have been put in place around Bangabhaban since the afternoon ahead of the swearing-in ceremony. Traffic diversions have been set up on several roads, while law enforcement personnel have been deployed at various points to control vehicular movement and maintain security.
Invited guests have also begun arriving at Bangabhaban for the ceremony. Guests are being allowed entry after showing their invitation cards. Ministers, MPs, political leaders, military and civilian officials, judges, diplomats and other dignitaries are attending the event.
The long-standing barricades in front of Bangabhaban have been removed, while nearby roads and footpaths have been cleaned. Illegal vendors have also been cleared from the footpath along the road from Gulistan to Bangabhaban, leaving the area relatively quiet. The movement of ordinary people, however, remains normal.
The swearing-in ceremony of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the new president will be held at 7:30pm today in the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban. Acting Speaker Kaysar Kamal will administer the oath, while Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani will conduct the ceremony.
The presidential oath will be administered after the national anthem and recitation from the Quran. After taking the oath, Mirza Fakhrul will sign the oath book and formally assume the presidential chair.
According to Bangabhaban and Cabinet Division sources, more than 1,200 invitations have been distributed for the ceremony. The seating capacity of the Darbar Hall has also been increased. While the hall normally accommodates around 400 people, seating has been expanded to more than 800 for the occasion.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, cabinet members, MPs, heads of constitutional bodies, representatives of the judiciary and Election Commission, foreign guests, ambassadors, military and civilian officials, opposition leaders and MPs, representatives of other political parties, journalists and civil society representatives are expected to attend.
The swearing-in of four new cabinet members is also scheduled to take place after the president’s oath. BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partha and Bandarban MP Saching Prue Jerry are expected to take oath as ministers, while Gaibandha-4 MP Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln is expected to take oath as a state minister. President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will administer their oaths.
Before the president’s swearing-in, Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad will arrive at Bangabhaban. President-elect Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will then enter Bangabhaban before proceeding to the Darbar Hall.
The swearing-in ceremony has also generated excitement among BNP activists outside Bangabhaban. Although vehicular movement has been restricted outside the main entrance for security reasons, a number of party activists have been seen gathering there.
Mirza Fakhrul was elected president with 255 votes in Thursday’s presidential election held at the Jatiya Sangsad. His rival, Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance candidate Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, received 88 votes. The Election Commission issued a gazette on the same day declaring Mirza Fakhrul the country’s 23rd president.
The presidency fell vacant after President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on July 24. Under the Constitution, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad assumed the duties of acting president, while Deputy Speaker Kaysar Kamal took over as acting speaker.
With Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir taking oath, the terms of the acting president and acting speaker will come to an end.
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