Special Correspondent :
The Cabinet Division on Saturday completed all preparation to hold the oath-taking ceremony of the new Cabinet of Awami League Government headed by Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister.
Officials of the Division said that it was a hectic day for all of them to complete the formalities of swearing in the new government and its cabinet team.
“The cabinet division is all set to hold the oath-taking ceremony of the new government ministers. Officials of the division remained present in their offices Saturday to complete all the preparations,” Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told The New Nation yesterday.
President Md Abdul Hamid is scheduled to administer the oath of the new cabinet members at 3:30pm on Monday.
An AL-led coalition ‘Grand Alliance’ won a massive 288 parliamentary seats out of 300, while the main opposition alliance dominated by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured just seven on December 30 general election, creating opportunity for Sheikh Hasina to form her third consecutive government and fourth overall. The cabinet division officials said the files on the appointments of the new cabinet members have been prepared. Names of the ministers would be printed on them as per the instruction of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“The PMO will inform the Cabinet Division about the names of the new cabinet members,” a cabinet division official told The New Nation.
The Cabinet Secretary went to PMO at noon to get the list of the new cabinet members.
When asked, M Shafiul Alam declined to comment on the issue, saying the size of the cabinet is yet to be finalized. It is only the Prime Minister’s jurisdiction. The media will be informed about the new cabinet team once it gets the final shape.
The Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina started its second consecutive term, giving berth a cabinet of 49 members on January 12, 2014.
Among them, 29 were ministers, 17 state ministers and two were deputy ministers.
Speculation runs high that Sheikh Hasina will this time also head an identical size cabinet inducting both old and new faces as ministers. Meanwhile, the government transport pool has kept cars ready at its workshop for the new cabinet members.
“Cars with chauffeurs are ready. We will send them away in line with the cabinet division’s requirement,” said an official of the government’s transport pool.
