Sheikh Hasina expands her cabinet
By DPA, Gaea News NetworkFriday, January 23, 2009
DHAKA - Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed Saturday inducted six more junior ministers into her cabinet, raising the cabinet’s strength to 38, officials said.
President Iajuddin Ahmed administered the oath to the new state ministers at the presidential palace, Bangabhaban. Portfolios of the ministers were yet to be allocated.
The expansion of the cabinet came less than a month since Hasina was sworn in as Prime Minister Jan 6 and a day ahead of inauguration of the country’s ninth parliament Sunday.
She had formed a 32-member cabinet accommodating leaders from her Awami League and allies as well to run the administration on a five-year tenure.
Hasina’s Awami League-led alliance won a sweeping victory in Dec 29 parliamentary elections, ending two years of rule by the military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed.
The general election brought three-fourth majority in parliament for Hasina’s alliance with 262 out of 300 seats.
The previously elected ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance of Khaleda Zia got only 32 seats while it had won a landslide two-third majority in parliament in the 2001 general elections.
