Although largely ceremonial in a parliamentary system of government, the president's position in terms of honour and protocol is unparalleled, standing above all.
BNP-nominated candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected the country's new president yesterday. His swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban at 7:30pm today.
The government undertakes extensive preparations to welcome an elected president, with the Cabinet Division completing the oath-taking preparations through at least 25 stages before the event concludes.
The formal swearing-in ceremony at Bangabhaban lasts barely seven to eight minutes. However, the Cabinet Division begins preparations nearly a month in advance, assisted by the President's Office, according to sources from both offices.
This correspondent spoke to two additional secretaries and joint secretaries involved in organising the presidential swearing-in. One of them told The Daily Star, "The president's swearing-in is over in a few minutes. Watching it on television, it looks so simple and graceful. But several government departments have to work day and night to prepare for this event."
"No other post in the state has an inauguration arranged on such a large scale. After a parliamentary election, members of the cabinet take their oath right after the prime minister. That makes the president's swearing-in unique, where he alone takes the oath," the official added.
However, Bangabhaban sources said one or two cabinet members might also take oath immediately after the president this time.
The Cabinet Division officially begins work on the swearing-in ceremony right after the presidential election schedule is announced, taking the prime minister's approval to fix the date, time, and venue.
Alongside conducting the ceremony, the cabinet secretary oversees overall activities. A sub-committee headed by a senior official is formed to prepare the guest list, print invitation cards and deliver them, and verify whether very important guests have received them.
Invitations must be hand-delivered, particularly to the prime minister, speaker, chief justice, members of the cabinet, foreign diplomats, and high-ranking civil and military officials.
Asked about the most challenging part of the ceremony, a former secretary who worked in the Cabinet Division said, "All key dignitaries of the state, including cabinet members, MPs, heads of constitutional bodies, foreign guests, and civil and military officials, are invited to this event. Maintaining protocol while inviting them, arranging orderly seating at the venue, and organising refreshments is the most complex task."
"On the other hand, there is immense pressure over how many people to invite from among the large number of political party leaders, journalists, and civil society representatives. In particular, top leaders of various associate bodies of the ruling party want to come to Bangabhaban with their followers. Managing this becomes very difficult," he said.
Another official said that although seating is designated for invited guests, many do not adhere to it. "High-level officials and politicians are the ones invited to Bangabhaban. If they do not follow the rules properly, nothing can be said to them, which makes it another big challenge on oath day."
Under the existing seating arrangement, the Darbar Hall at Bangabhaban can accommodate around 700 people, but around 1,500 cards have reportedly been printed this time.
Asked about the necessary steps being taken for the additional attendees, relevant officials said around 850 people will be accommodated in Darbar Hall by placing the seats closer together. For the others, LED screens will be set up in the verandah and in a marquee on the grounds so that everyone can watch the ceremony.
