To take oath as the new prime minister of Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman decided to break with convention. Instead of Bangabhaban, the official residence of the President, he and his cabinet were sworn in at the expansive and public-facing Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, home to the country’s Parliament. It signalled the return of parliamentary democracy after more than a year and a half of rule by an interim administration that many in Bangladesh viewed as technocratic, opaque and increasingly unaccountable. Rahman walked to the venue in a black suit and white shirt, flanked by his wife, Dr Zubaida, and their daughter, Zaima. Those close to him remarked on the remarkable calm he exuded—one that he has built over the years and which has come to define his demeanour.
