Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Forms Cabinet as Tarique Rahman Unveils Opposition Lineup After Election Win

Bangladesh’s political landscape took shape this week as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced her new cabinet following her party’s victory in national elections, while opposition leader Tarique Rahman named a fresh leadership team for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seeking to reassert his authority after a fiercely contested and controversial vote.
Hasina’s Awami League secured a decisive parliamentary majority, extending her tenure for a fifth term in office. The cabinet, sworn in at Bangabhaban in Dhaka, included several returning ministers alongside a number of younger technocrats, signaling what officials described as a renewed focus on economic stability, infrastructure development, and inflation control. Key portfolios such as finance, foreign affairs, and home affairs remained in the hands of trusted allies, reinforcing Hasina’s grip on governance at a time of rising global economic uncertainty.
In parallel, Tarique Rahman, who remains in self-imposed exile in London, announced a restructured BNP executive committee and policy council, widely seen as an attempt to form a de facto “shadow cabinet.” The move followed the BNP’s rejection of the election outcome, which it claimed lacked credibility due to low turnout and the absence of a neutral caretaker government.
In a statement released by BNP headquarters in Dhaka, Rahman said the new leadership team would focus on “restoring democracy, defending civil liberties, and preparing for a future national mandate.” Senior party figures were assigned responsibility for economic policy, foreign relations, and election strategy, mirroring the structure of a formal cabinet. Party officials said the reorganization was meant to demonstrate readiness to govern if political conditions changed.
Political analysts view Rahman’s announcement as both symbolic and strategic. “This is a way for Tarique Rahman to remain politically relevant despite being outside the country,” said a Dhaka-based political commentator. “By naming a leadership lineup, he signals to supporters and international observers that BNP considers itself an alternative government-in-waiting.”
The election itself was marked by boycotts from major opposition parties and scattered incidents of violence. Government officials defended the process as constitutional and transparent, while international observers expressed concern over the limited competition and restrictions on opposition campaigning. Turnout figures were significantly lower than in previous elections, reflecting public fatigue with political polarization.
Hasina’s new cabinet faces pressing challenges, including managing foreign debt, stabilizing the taka, and addressing rising food and fuel prices. Relations with Western governments have also grown more complex amid scrutiny of Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and human rights record.
For Tarique Rahman, the political road remains uncertain. Convicted in absentia in corruption cases that he says are politically motivated, he has been unable to return to Bangladesh. Nonetheless, he continues to exert influence over BNP strategy through digital communication and loyal party networks.
Observers note that Bangladesh’s politics now appears headed into another period of prolonged tension between a dominant ruling party and an opposition struggling to regain momentum. While Hasina consolidates power through formal state institutions, Rahman is attempting to rebuild opposition credibility through organizational reforms and symbolic gestures.
As Bangladesh embarks on another five-year political cycle, both camps claim legitimacy: one through electoral victory, the other through protest and reform. The formation of the new cabinet and the parallel opposition lineup underscores a divided political reality, with stability on one side and unresolved questions about democratic participation on the other.