The new Cabinet of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also President of Bangladesh Awami League, will take oath at Bangabhaban at 7:00pm on Thursday following the ruling Awami Leagues landslide victory in the 12th general election held on January 7, according to a Bangabhaban source.
While talking to media at his Secretariat office on Tuesday, Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq also confirmed the matter saying, the Prime Minister will take oath of office for the straight fourth time and form her new Cabinet on Thursday. The new Cabinet members will also take oath there.
Ahead of the new Cabinets oath taking, the Members of Parliament (MPs)-elect will take oath today.
According to the Speakers Office sources, the Parliament Secretariat has been making preparations for the oath-taking ceremony which will be held at 10:00am on Wednesday.
The ruling Awami League (AL)-backed candidates won 222 seats on January 7 general election while Independent candidates - most also belonging to AL - won 62 seats.
Besides, Jatiya Party candidates were victorious in 11 seats, and three single candidates each from three parties - Bangladesh Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Bangladesh Kalyan Party - secured victory in their respective constituencies.
The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday published the gazette notification on the results of the 12th parliamentary election with the names of the newly-elected lawmakers.
The ECs Director (Public Relations) Shariful Alam told this correspondent that the gazette was published at Tuesday afternoon.
While talking to media, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the new Cabinet led by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina will be sworn in at the Bangabhaban at 7:00pm on Thursday.
He said that after taking oath, Awami Leagues parliamentary party will formally elect Sheikh Hasina as their leader and communicate its decision with President to appoint her as Prime Minister, for the fifth time since her first term in 1996.
The President will administer the oath to the new Prime Minister, who will then advise the Head of the State to appoint ministers and state ministers, handpicked by her, to form the new Cabinet.
However, he did not disclose the specific number of Cabinet members and the names of lawmakers who will serve as ministers or the composition of the Cabinet.
Earlier on the day, the ECs Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told media, "We have already sent all necessary documents to the BG Press around 2:00pm. The gazettes for all constituencies are likely to be announced today (Tuesday)."
Regarding the Opposition in Parliament, Anisul Huq said the Independent candidates who won in the 12th JS polls will play a role in the formation of the opposition party in Parliament.
"Opposition in the Parliament will be decided depending on how the Independent candidates position themselves. Elected Independent candidates can convene a caucus. If the Independents decide to act separately, then Jatiya Party will become the opposition," he said.
