Sheikh Hasina Sworn In As Bangladesh PM For Fifth Term.
By Emoemi Ken-Peretei
Sheikh Hasina was on Thursday sworn in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the fifth term, days after her Awami League won an overwhelming majority in the general elections boycotted by the main opposition BNP and its allies.
President Mohammad Shahabuddin administered the oath of office on 76-year-old Hasina at a ceremony joined by politicians, foreign diplomats, civil society figures and senior civil and military officials at Bangabhaban presidential palace . She will serve as the 12th prime minister; her fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term.
Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has been ruling the strategically located South Asian nation since 2009. She is among the world’s longest-serving female Heads of government.
Following the Prime Minister, the new members of cabinet were sworn in by the president.
Hasina’s party won 223 seats in the 300-member Parliament.
Hasina has dropped some heavyweights like foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, finance minister AHM Mostafa Kamal, planning minister Abdul Mannan, agriculture minister Abdur Razzak and commerce minister Tipu Munshi from her new Cabinet.
Names of 13 junior ministers out of 18 state ministers in the outgoing government also did not appear in the new list and they included junior minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam.
The new council of ministers list named 14 new faces as full ministers and seven state ministers though some of them were elevated as cabinet ministers.
Samanta Lal Sen, a doctor specialized on burn wounds, emerged as a new face in the list of full ministers as a technocrat to the surprise of many as he was never known for political activism.
The election was critised by the United States of America and the United Nations following a crackdown late last year that saw thousands of opposition party members arrested.
“I will faithfully discharge the duties of Prime Minister according to law” said Ms Hasina during the oath taking ceremony at the Presidential palace.
