Special Correspondent :
Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina will take oath next week as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister for third straight term as her party secured a landslide victory in Sunday’s general election.
Informed sources said, the oath taking ceremony could be held sometimes on January 5 or January 6.
President Abdul Hamid will administer the oath of office to Hasina, and her new Ministers at a ceremony at the Presidential palace to be attended by political leaders, high civil and military officials, diplomats and other dignitaries.
The Election Commission on Monday officially declared the party as the winner of the 11th parliamentary election.
The ruling coalition ‘Grand Alliance’ led by Hasina’s Awami League (AL) won 288 out of 300 seats in Sunday’s polls, Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said.
With the 288 parliamentary seats, ruling Awami League, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, won the outright majority in the Parliament, known as the Jatiya Sangsad.
World leaders also greeted Sheikh Hasina for her party’s massive victory in Sunday’s general election.
The Election Commission will issue Gazette Notification of the newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) in a day or two. Then they will take oath from the Speaker.
According to the Constitution, the leader of majority party would seek the President’s consent to form the new Cabinet after issuance of the EC’s gazette notification.
Upon consent of the President, the leader of the majority party will select the cabinet members.
President will fist administer oath to the Prime Minister and later Ministers, State Ministers and Deputy Ministers.
After the oath, the Cabinet Division will issue gazette notification citing the portfolios of the new Ministers.
“We have already taken all necessary preparation to form the new Cabinet. We’re ready to greet all the new ministers,” an anonymous Cabinet Division official told The New Nation yesterday.
Sheikh Hasina first sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister on June 23, 1996 following her party’s victory in the Seventh Parliament Election.
She handed over the power to a caretaker government before the Eighth Parliament Election in 2001. But her party failed to grab the state power following defeat in the election.
AL rein in the state power again in 2009 after securing landside victory in the ninth Parliamentary Election held in December 29, 2008. Later, Sheikh Hasina had been sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister for second time.
She took third term in the office following 10th Parliament Election held January 5, 2014, boycotted by opposition BNP.
UNB adds:
AL wins 259 seats, J P 20
Awami League-led Grand Alliance candidates were unofficially declared elected in 285 constituencies while Dr Kamal-led Jatiya Oikyafront came out successful in seven seats in the early counting of votes.
Of the Grand Alliance, Awami League alone got 259 seats while Jatiya Party 20, Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed announced at 4:02am on Monday.
Three independent candidates also emerged victorious.
According to the unofficial results, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won the election from Gopalganj-3 constituency.
Sheikh Hasina bagged 229,539 votes while her nearest rival SM Jilani of BNP polled 123.
Awami League runner Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was unofficially elected from Rangpur-6 by a huge margin.
She bagged 234,426 votes in all 107 polling stations of the constituency while her nearest rival Jatiya Oikyafront contender Saiful Islam polled 24,053.
Jatiay Party Chairman HM Ershad was unofficially declared elected in Rangpur-3 constituency.
Ershad bagged 142,926 votes while his nearest rival candidate Rita Rahman of Jatiya Oikyafront polled 53,089.
In Gopalganj-2, AL candidate Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim bagged 281,909 votes to defeat his nearest rival Taslim Shikdar from Islamic Andolon Bangladesh who polled 608. BNP aspirant Sirajul Islam got 286 votes in the election.
In Gopalganj-1, AL contestant M Faruk Khan defeated SD Sharfuzzaman Jahangir by a huge margin of vote. Faruk bagged 303,162 votes against 57 of Jahangir.
Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has won a landslide victory in Narail-2 constituency. Mashrafe got 274,418 out of 284,813 votes which were cast as per the unofficial counting. His e closest contender Jatiya Oikyafront’s AZM Dr. Fariduzzaman polled 8,006.
In Kishoreganj-1 constituency, Awami League aspirant Syed Ashraful Islam was unofficially elected bagging 260,973 votes against his rival candidate Rezaul Karim Khan of BNP. Jatiya Party candidate Mujibul Hoque Chunnu came out successful bagging 239,616 votes in Kishoreganj-3 constituency while Awami League candidate Rezwan Ahmed Toufiq got 258,516 votes in Kishoreganj-4 constituency to win the election.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came out successful in Bogura-6 constituency. He bagged 205,987 votes to defeat the Jatiya Party candidate who polled 39,961. In Bogura-4, Mosharraf Hossain defeated Boat candidate securing 128,585 votes against Boat candidate’s 86,048. In Thakurgaon-3 seat, BNP’s Zahidur Rahman was elected unofficially bagging 87,165 votes against AL rebel Imdadaul Haque’s 84,109. In Moulvibazar-2 constituency, Jatiya Oikyafront candidate Sultan Mohammad Monsur Ahmed defeated Bikolpa Dhara Bangladesh contestant MM Shaheen. Sultan Monsur bagged 79,742 against Shaheen’s 77,170.
In Chapainwabganj-2, BNP candidate Aminul Islam got 175,466 votes to defeat Ziaur Rahman of Awami League who polled 139,952.
In Chapainawabganj-3, Harunur Rashid of BNP (133,661) defeated Abdul Wadud of Awami League (85,938).
Earlier, voting in the election was held amid allegations of irregularities, including overnight stuffing of ballot boxes and capturing of polling stations, and sporadic violence in different parts of the country, leaving 16 people dead.
The voting in the capital was, however, almost peaceful as reported by UNB reporters.
