AbstractAn analysis of the oscillatory MHD channel flow of an electrically conducting, viscous, incompressible fluid under a transverse magnetic field is presented. The transient velocity and the transient temperature are exhibited graphically, whereas the numerical values of the amplitude, phase of the skin‐friction and the first and second harmonics of the rate of heat transfer are displayed in tabular form. Also discussed are the effects ofM(the Hartmann number),e(the loading parameter), ω* (the frequency), andE(the Eckert numbe