THE BANGABHABAN : The President House of Bangladesh

President of Bangladesh Awami League and leader of the Grand Alliance Sheikh Hasina today said the new cabinet was likely to take oath next week. "We will take oath after getting invitation from the President and we hope it will be within the first week of January," she told reporters after paying a curtsey call on President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban this evening. Replying to a question about the strength of the new cabinet, Sheikh Hasina said they have already devised one, which would be announced in proper time. "During more than an hour long meeting, the President informed Sheikh Hasina that the oath of cabinet would be arranged in the shortest possible time according to their desire

after publication of the gazette notification", President's Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader told BSS. Congratulating Sheikh Hasina for the landslide victory of her party and grand alliance in last Monday's general election, the President said Sheikh Hasina's leadership and her party's responsibility to the entire nation has increased a lot as her party received huge mandate from the people. "I hope you will be successful to fulfill the aspiration of the nation," Professor Iajuddin said and firmly hoped that the path of democracy would be further strengthened and the road to economic development would be widened through the Ninth parliamentary election. Sheikh Hasina said the people of the country exercised their voting rights in a festive mood during the election as they have long been eagerly waiting for it. "We need to continue this trend and work for changing the country's political
culture," she said. The Awami League chief also said that they would do their future activities keeping in mind the hopes and aspirations of the whole nation, who reposed their total confidence on them through the last Monday's polls. Co-chairman of Awami League Election Steering Committee H T Imam and concerned Secretaries, among others, were present on the occasion.