Preparations for oath of ministers underway
The Cabinet Division and Bangabhaban are preparing to administer oath tomorrow to as many as 60 ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers of the new cabinet of Awami League-led grand alliance government, government sources said. After getting instructions from the high-ups, the Cabinet Division has been busy since Friday preparing required files in cooperation with officials of Bangabhaban for the swearing-in of up to 60 cabinet members, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Cabinet Division sources said.
They said the division has already asked the government transport department to prepare new vehicles, especially sedans, for the new cabinet members. The Cabinet Division has received a list of the possible ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers from the high-ups and is collecting bio-data and other important documents.
According to the sources, tentatively 30 ministers, 20 state ministers and three or four deputy ministers are likely to be sworn in on Monday. Most of the members, especially the state ministers, would be new faces and from young members of Parliament. Besides, MPs from the AL's allies -- the Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad), Jatiya Party (Manju), Workers' Party and the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu) -- might be inducted into Hasina's new cabinet.
According to the schedule, the President will administer the oath to the Prime Minister and her ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers at his office at Bangabhaban at about 3.30pm on Monday.
Hasina is now leading a 49-member cabinet, comprising 29 ministers, 17 state ministers and two deputy ministers. Four technocrat ministers resigned last month before the 11th parliamentary elections on December 30, 2018.
The AL sealed victory in the national polls for the third consecutive time, securing a two-thirds majority. Out of a total of 300 seats, the Awami League, apart from its alliance partners, won 259.
Earlier, 289 out of the total 298 newly elected MPs were sworn in as lawmakers on Thursday.