Dhaka: A new government headed by Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed, whose party won three-fourths majority in the recent election, would be sworn in here on Tuesday, even as the police dropped a graft charge against her.
Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmad on Monday invited her to form the new government, which would be sworn in at Bangabhaban presidential palace, a president’s spokesman said.
New role: Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed. Rashed Shumon / Reuters
An appointment letter would be handed over to her on Tuesday ahead of the ceremony amid speculations rife in the city about the strength and composition of the new ministry.
Though no indication was given about who would be included in the ministry, party sources said that Hasina wanted to restrict her council of ministers to 40.
It is expected to be a medium-sized cabinet, Awami League spokesman H.T. Imam told newspersons as the previous government of Hasina’s arch-rival Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party government was criticized for appointing 70 ministers.
Hasina-led Awami League’s grand alliance won 262 seats in the 300-member parliament in the elections held on 29 December.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Police on Monday dropped a graft charge filed by a local businessman against Hasina in line with a petition by complainant Tajul Islam Faruque, who last year accused her of extorting him of 3 crore taka (Rs2.19 crore).
“We found the charges (against Hasina) to be false and fabricated,” a police officer who investigated the case, known as the barge-mounted power plant case, said.