Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina has taken the oath of office for a third straight term.
President Abdul Hamid administered the oath to newly appointed Prime Minister Hasina at Bangabhaban on Monday (Jan 7).
According to Article 53(3), the President appoints as Prime Minister the member of Parliament who appears to him to command the support of the majority of the members of Parliament.
It is Hasina’s fourth term in the office.
The president then administered the oaths for the new ministers, ministers of state and deputy ministers who will form the cabinet.
The term of the government that came to power on Jan 12, 2014 officially ends once they finish the oath-taking ceremony.
The oath-taking ceremony was moderated by Cabinet Secretary Shafiul Alam, who on Sunday (Jan 6), announced the names and offices of the 47 members of the new cabinet at a media briefing.
The prime minister will lead a cabinet of 24 ministers, 19 ministers of state and three state ministers.
On Jan 12, 2014 Hasina assumed office for the third time after the AL-led Grand Alliance won national held on Jan 5 of the same year.
Hasina was the leader of the Opposition during the BNP-led 20-party Alliance government from 2001-2004.
In 2007, a military-installed caretaker government took over the office after the BNP-Jamaat government failed to hand over power in a peaceful manner in 2006.
After two years in the office, the caretaker government held the national election on Dec 29, 2008.
Hasina’s AL won the election with a two-third majority leading her to assume the office of the prime minister for the second term on Jan 6, 2009. Since then, she has been holding it.
Earlier, Hasina played crucial role in restoring democracy when she won from three constituencies in the parliamentary election in 1986 and become leader of the opposition.
Following the election of 1986, a constitutional process began in the country ending the martial law.
She led the mass movement in 1990 to topple military-dictator HM Ershad, who resigned on Dec 6, 1990.
Following the election in 1991, Hasina became leader of the opposition in the country's 5th parliament.
On Jun 23, 1996, she became prime minister for the first time as her party secured majority in the election held on Jun 12, 1996.