Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to embark on her fifth term on Thursday following a decisive triumph in an election marred by the opposition’s boycott.
Hasina’s ruling Awami League party secured nearly three-quarters of the elected seats in parliament, while the remaining seats were filled by allied parties and independent candidates with affiliations to the ruling coalition.
The election drew criticism from both the United States and the United Nations, particularly in the aftermath of a crackdown late last year that led to the arrest of thousands of opposition party members.
Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain announced that Hasina and her ministry will take their oaths of office at 7:00 pm local time (1300 GMT). Notably, around 15 ministers from the previous cabinet were excluded, but most senior ministers retained their positions, as indicated by names circulated by the cabinet office.
A notable change includes the removal of career diplomat A.K. Abdul Momen from the position of foreign minister, a role he held since 2019. Finance minister A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal, who faced health challenges for much of the past five years, was also replaced, with another former foreign minister slated to take his place. Hasina is expected to maintain control over key portfolios, including defence and energy.
Despite overseeing remarkable economic growth in Bangladesh, transforming it from a nation plagued by poverty, Hasina’s government has faced allegations of widespread human rights abuses and a severe crackdown on dissent.
Sunday’s election saw dozens of opposition parties boycotting the polls, denouncing it as a “sham” designed to solidify Hasina’s grip on power. The voter turnout was a mere 41.8 percent, just over half the figure recorded in the previous vote in 2018.
Despite the controversy surrounding the election, regional powers China and India congratulated Hasina on her victory, expressing their commitment to continued cooperation with the South Asian nation, which is home to 170 million people.
(APF)