The new cabinet will be sworn in on Sunday afternoon. President Abdul Hamid is expected to administer the oath at Bangabhaban, the official residence of the president.
Cabinet Division officials concerned confirmed that they had already finalised the timings of oaths and sent for invitation cards to be printed.
Cabinet Division Joint Secretary M Moyeen Uddin yesterday said: “The oaths will be held at 3:30pm on Sunday at Bangabhaban. We have already finalised the lists of guests.”
Meanwhile officials of the Department of Public Transport have started preparing transport for the new ministers.
“We have decided to ready at least 50 cars and the same number of efficient drivers,” said Abul Khayer Mallick, assistant director of the transport pool.
The number of new cabinet members may range between 45 and 50.
Yesterday President Abdul Hamid invited Sheikh Hasina, president of Awami League that won 232 parliamentary seats in Sunday’s violence-marred elections to form the new government.
The president made the offer as per the constitutional provision. Hasina met him at the Bangabhaban, Ehsanul Karim, press secretary to the president, told reporters.
The premier along with her party Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam entered Bangabhaban at 6:20pm and left at 7:30pm. Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan also attended the meeting. After the meeting president’s Press Secretary Ehsanul Karim Hellal said the president congratulated Hasina on her being re-elected as the president of the Awami League parliamentary party.
Awami League and Jatiya Party sources said almost all cabinet members of the interim government were likely to be included in the new cabinet.
Some new faces such as Mohammad Nasim, Sheikh Fazrul Karim Selim, Anwar Hossain Manju of Jatiya Party (JP), Mossarraf Hossain, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Asaduzzaman Noor might be incorporated into the new government.
AMA Muhith, Matia Chowdhury, Syed Ashraful Islam, Abdul Latif Siddique, Khandokar Mosarraf Hossain, Advocate Shahara Khatun, Obaidul Quader, Mujibul Haque, Nurul Islam Nahid, Shahjahan Khan, Hasan, and Hasanul Haque Inu may get the same ministries.
Sheikh Selim may be given the health ministry while Mohammad Nasim the home ministry.
If Safiq Ahmed becomes adviser to the prime minister then Suranjit Sen may get the law ministry while Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir the planning ministry.
If AMA Muhith is not interested, former Bangladesh Bank governor Farash Uddin Ahmed is like to become finance minister.
Jatiya Party’s Anisul Islam Mahmud, Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, Salma Islam and Mujibul Haque Chunnu are reported to be included in the new government.
Earlier in the day, 284 MPs, elected in the 10th parliamentary poll, took oaths.
Yesterday Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered the oaths for the newly elected MPs.
Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad did not join the oath-taking ceremony. The new MPs from his party joined the programme under Rawshan Ershad who is set to be the leader of the opposition in parliament.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has lost state protocol soon after the lawmakers were sworn in.