The new cabinet is set to take oath of office on Sunday, after the much-talked-about election to the 10th parliament of the country. “We’ve taken all the preparations for the oath taking of the new ministers at 3:30 pm,” sources at the Cabinet Division and Bangabhaban said. He said President Abdul Hamid will administer the oath at 3:30 pm on the day at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban. Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, however, told UNB on Thursday that the new cabinet may take oath early next week without specifying the date and time. Earlier, the newly elected lawmakers from Awami League were sworn in at the oath chamber of Jatiya Sangsad at 10:20 am while the new Jatiya Party MPs took their oath of office around 11:20 am without its Chairman HM Ershad. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered the oath. Meanwhile, Awami League Parliamentary Party (ALPP) picked Sheikh Hasina as the leader of the House at a meeting after the new MPs were sworn in. Sheikh Hasina is going to meet President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban this (Thursday) evening where discussion is likely to be held over formation of the new government. On Wednesday, the Election Commission published the results of 290 constituencies of the elections through a gazette notification. A total of 292 candidates have been elected unofficially. Of the 292 constituencies, ruling Awami League won 232 parliamentary seats, while HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party won 33 seats, Workers Party six, Jasad five, Jatiya Party-JP one, Tarikat Federation one, BNF one and independent candidates won 13 seats. The voting was held in 147 constituencies on January 5 as the rest 153 constituencies went uncontested in the 10th national election, which was boycotted by BNP. – UNB
