The government has decided to use the State Guest House Jamuna as the official residence of the new prime minister, according to officials at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
After gaining victory with 209 seats on 13th national election, BNP is set to form a single party government under the leadership of party Chairman Tarique Rahman. He is scheduled to take oath as the new prime minister of Bangladesh on Tuesday, 17 February.
Officials said the interim government had begun searching for a suitable official residence for the incoming prime minister even before the election. Several locations were shortlisted, but no final decision was taken at the time.
In this context, the authorities have now opted for Jamuna State Guest House to serve as the prime minister’s official residence.
According to ministry sources, once interim government chief Muhammad Yunus vacates Jamuna, the building will be renovated and prepared for the new prime minister. The renovation process may take between one and two months, officials said.
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works had earlier formed a committee to recommend residences for the prime minister and cabinet members of the elected government. The committee proposed two possible sites in
the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area, the residences of the speaker and deputy speaker within the parliament complex, and a location within the defence ministry zone.
Committee members considered the speaker and deputy speaker’s residences more suitable than the defence ministry site, and preliminary steps were taken in that direction. The issue was later placed before a meeting of the advisory council, but no final decision was made, with the matter left for the incoming elected government.
Meanwhile, the country’s traditional prime ministerial residence, Gonobhaban, is being transformed into a memorial museum commemorating the July 2024 mass uprising that led to the removal of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from power. As a result, Ganabhaban is no longer being considered for use as the prime minister’s residence.
Located in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, the Ganabhaban complex was constructed in 1973 during the tenure of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the official residence of the prime minister.
On August 5, 2024, following Hasina’s ouster, protesters attacked the premises, causing extensive damage and rendering the building unfit for immediate use.
On 5 September, the interim government announced plans to preserve the damaged structure as a July uprising memorial museum.
Jamuna, a two-storey building on Minto Road covering about 42,125 square feet, was originally built to host visiting foreign heads of state. After Muhammad Yunus took oath on 8 August, 2024, it was designated as both his office and residence due to the damage to Ganabhaban and the prime minister’s office.
Cabinet Division officials said Jamuna was made operational following consultations with President Mohammad Shahabuddin.
The building has also been used in the past as an interim prime ministerial residence, including in 2009 when Sheikh Hasina temporarily stayed there during renovations at Ganabhaban.
A separate committee formed in 2024 to assess damage to Ganabhaban and the prime minister’s office focused largely on the museum project rather than restoring the premises for residential use.
Since the July 2024 uprising, Ganabhaban has come to be viewed as a symbol of Bangladesh’s political transition. In that broader context, officials say the decision to designate Jamuna as the official residence of the next prime minister reflects the country’s ongoing political reconfiguration.
