Dhaka [Bangladesh], January 12: Sheikh Hasina was sworn in for a another term as Bangladesh's prime minister on Thursday, less than a week after her ruling Awami League party won a parliamentary election marred by low voter turnout and sporadic violence.
Hasina is the first prime minister in Bangladesh's history to be elected to a fourth consecutive, and a fifth overall, five-year term.
Her main political rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, boycotted the election over fears of vote-rigging.
The BNP has long demanded an election under a non-party caretaker administration, but Hasina's ruling party rejected the idea as "unconstitutional."
The 76-year old politician took her oath of office from President Mohammed Shahabuddin at the Bangabhaban palace in Dhaka. She was joined by her new Cabinet of 25 ministers and 11 state ministers.
Former information and broadcasting minister Hasan Mahmud was named as foreign minister while Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, a former foreign minister in an earlier Hasina Cabinet, was given the portfolio of the Ministry of Finance.
Senior politicians, foreign diplomats and civil and military officials attended the swearing-in ceremony, which was broadcast live by state-run Bangladesh Television and private broadcasters.
Hasina's ruling party won 222 out of the 298 seats in parliament that were up for election on January 7.
Elections for two other parliamentary constituencies were suspended - one because of poll violence that erupted and the other for the death of an independent candidate of natural causes ahead of the vote.
Source: Qatar Tribune
