Special Correspondent :
Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister for the record fourth term on Monday, a week after her party won a landslide victory in the December 30 general election.
President Abdul Hamid administered the oath to the Prime Minister at 3.40pm in a simple ceremony held at the Darbar Hall of the Bangabhaban (Presidential Palace).
The President also administered the oath to the Sheikh Hasina’s new Cabinet members later.
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam conducted oath taking ceremony, which began with the recitation from the Holy Quran.
Top government and military officials, along with foreign diplomats and newly elected members of parliament attended, among others, in the oath taking ceremony.
Hasina will lead a 46-member Cabinet, including 24 Ministers, 19 State Ministers and three Deputy Ministers, whose names were announced on Sunday.
The Cabinet Division on Monday published a gazette notification distributing portfolios among the new Cabinet members immediately after its new Ministry took oath at Bangabhaban.
The outgoing Cabinet got abolished with the publication of the gazette at Bangabhaban.
President Abdul Hamid on Thursday invited Awami League President Sheikh Hasina to form the new government after Awami League and its allies secured 288 seats out of 300-member parliament in the December 30 general election.
Hasina, 71, was first elected Prime Minister in 1996. She lost the 2001 general election and returned to power after winning the December 2008 polls.
Hasina again elected as Prime Minister in 2014 following January 5, 2014 general election, boycotted by the opposition BNP and its allies.
