When prime ministers and ministers take office in Bangladesh, or in almost any other country in the world, they go through a ceremony in which they speak out an oath to uphold the duties of their office.
Sheikh Hasina has taken oath for the fourth time as prime minister of Bangladesh. President Abdul Hamid administered the oath taking ceremony at Bangabhaban on Monday afternoon.
After Sheikh Hasina’s oath, the ministers, and state and deputy ministers of the new cabinet took their oaths, respectively.
The rules of the Oath of Office is specified by Article 148 (1) of the constitution. The individual oaths are given in the third schedule of the constitution.
The Constitution also designates who will swear in who. With the oath, the person taking it is deemed to have entered the office.
For the prime minister, other ministers, ministers of state and deputy ministers, the oath consists of two parts, the oath of office and the oath of secrecy. The oath of office is as follows:
“I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of (name of office) according to law : That I will bear true faith and allegiance to Bangladesh : That I will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution : And that I will do right to all manner of people according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”
The oath of secrecy is:
“I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to
me as (name of office) except as may be required for the due discharge of my duty as (name of office).”
Both are usually administered in Bangla. In Bangla the first part is 53 words and the second 51 words, minus the name.
Many oaths of office in major democracies are often much shorter. The US president’s oath is only 37 words.