Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina to take oath as PM for 4th time today; drops 36 old ministers

Dhaka, Jan 7: Sheikh Hasina, who won her third successive term as the prime minister of Bangladesh since 2008 and the fourth overall, is set to take oath on Monday, January 7. However, the prime minister revealed the names of her new cabinet on Sunday, January 6, and it was found that she has dropped 36 people from the outgoing administration and inducting 31 new faces, mostly first ministers. Of these 31, three would be technocrat ministers, Pratham Alo reported.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told the media on Sunday that the new cabinet will have 24 minister, 19 state ministers and three deputy ministers. The cabinet is set to take oath at Bangabhaban, the official residence of Bangladesh's president around 3.30 pm local time. President Abdul Hamid will administer the swearing-in ceremony.

Hasina's Awami League and its allies won almost all of the 300 parliamentary seats that went to the general polls on December 30. The opposition alliance, which managed to win just seven seats, termed the election as "farcical". Violence, intimidation and vote-rigging accusations marred the election which observers had always apprehended to be an influenced one.

Though the opposition sought a fresh election, the election commission said it would investigate the rigging allegations but claimed later that election had taken place in a peaceful manner and there would be no fresh election.

Bangladesh though has made remarkable progress under the leadership of Hasina but its democratic track records have come under serious scrutiny.