DHAKA: Ruling Awami League President Sheikh Hasina met President M Abdul Hamid on Thursday evening to discuss the formation of the new government.

A source told banglanews24.com that the meeting lasted for almost an hour.

The meeting was fixed soon after Hasina was elected the leader of the AL which swept Sunday’s violence-marred national elections boycotted by the 18-party opposition alliance.

Sheikh Hasina reached Bangabhaban, the official resident of the President, around 6:15pm.

During the meeting, President Abdul Hamid advised Sheikh Hasina to form the new government as early as possible.

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam and cabinet secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan were present during the meeting.

Later, the President’s press secretary, Iahsanul Karim, briefed journalists about the meeting.

Karim disclosed that the President congratulated the prime minister for securing an absolute majority in 10th parliamentary polls before advising her to form the government at the earliest.

Karim said that the new cabinet may be administered the oath of office on Sunday.

Earlier, the newly elected 283 lawmakers of Awami League, Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtantrick Dal, Workers Party and others took oath in phases on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury administered the oath to members of the 10th parliament.

Awami League lawmakers took oath at 10:20 am and Jatiya Party lawmakers at 11:14am while four MPs of Jatiya Samajtantrick Dal and one lawmaker each of BNF and Tarikat Federation at 11:30am.

In the fourth phase, seven lawmakers including four independently elected MPs took oath at 11:45am.
 
The lawmakers signed oath papers with the names of their constituencies and dates of taking oath and submitted them to the Sangsad secretariat.

BDST: 2145 HRS, JAN 09, 2014
Edited by: Golam Rosul, Newsroom Editor/ MMA