Bangladesh’s new Cabinet is to be sworn in on Thursday

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s new Cabinet is expected to take oath on Thursday, a day after the newly-elected parliament members are to be sworn in, officials said on Tuesday.

“President Mohammad Shahabuddin will administer the ministers’ oath of office on Thursday,” a Bangabhaban presidential palace spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain said Members of Parliament-elect would be sworn in on Wednesday at the Jatiya Sangsad, where parliamentary speaker Shirin Sharmin Choudhury would administer the ceremony.

Ruling Awami League president, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is widely assumed to be the premier for the fifth term, fourth consecutively, as her party’s new parliamentary committee is expected to elect her for the position in a meeting on Wednesday shortly after their oath of office at the Jatiya Sangsad.

Hossain is tasked to invite new ministers to take the oath at Bangabhaban. When asked about the size of the new cabinet and who could be inducted into the council of ministers, the top bureaucrat said, “I have not got any direction yet”.

Chief Whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury said the Election Commission would publish the results of the polls in the form of a gazette on Tuesday.

The members are expected to take the oath within three days of the gazette notification publication.

The ruling Awami League headed by Prime Minister Hasina won 222 seats; the Jatiya Party 11 seats; the Workers' Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Bangladesh Kalyan Party one seat each; and independent candidates won 61 seats.

Hasina won the Gopalganj-3 seat in a landslide victory in the election, securing her eighth term as a lawmaker.

On Monday, the Election Commission announced the unofficial voting results in 298 of the country's 300 parliamentary constituencies.

Polls for one constituency, Naogaon-2, were postponed following the death of a candidate in December.

The Election Commission will announce the result of another constituency, Mymensingh-3, later as polling of one of the centres was withheld, the Daily Star Bangladesh quoted Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal as saying.