Cabinet could have ‘big surprises’: Obaidul Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has hinted at a ‘big surprise’ in the composition of the new cabinet.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 4 Jan 2019, 09:38 AM
Updated : 4 Jan 2019, 01:02 PM

The ruling party is preparing to form government for a third consecutive term after securing a landslide win in Sunday’s national election.

He made the remarks after new Awami League MPs paid tribute to Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi’s Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Friday.

Asked about their plans for the new cabinet, Quader said it will have ministers both “young and old”. The new cabinet will be sworn in to office during a ceremony at Bangabhaban on Monday.

The Awami League-led Grand Alliance won a remarkable 288 seats in the national elections, among which, 257 seats were secured by Awami League candidates.

Its main opposition, the BNP and its allies at the Jatiya Oikya Front could only manage seven seats amid reports of widespread rigging and other irregularities.

While the winners from the Grand Alliance were being sworn in to parliament on Thursday, the BNP stayed away from the ceremony.

The BNP and Oikya Jote have rejected the outcome of the elections and demanded fresh polls under a neutral election-time government.

The BNP made a “big mistake” by boycotting the last general election, and is making “a bigger mistake” by refusing to take oath of office, claimed Quader.    

“The people have given their verdict and they should respect it,” he said Quader.

Mourning the death of Awami League’s former general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, who passed away on Thursday night, Quader said his predecessor still had “a lot more to offer” to politics in Bangladesh.

“Syed Ashraful Islam devoted his life to the Awami League. His death has caused irreparable damage to his party.”

“After 1975, Syed Ashraf played a huge role in London to support Bangabandhu’s two daughters.”