Bangladesh forms polls-time interim cabinet

Despite the main opposition alliance's threat to boycott elections, Bangladesh's "disputed" polls-time cabinet was sworn in Monday here at the President House.

Six new ministers and two state ministers have been sworn in following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's cabinet reshuffle to pave the way for formation of the polls-time cabinet, Xinhua reported.

Bangladesh's President Abdul Hamid administered the oath to the new ministers and two state ministers of Hasina's polls-time cabinet in two batches.

The portfolio of the cabinet members are not available yet.

All the new ministers and state ministers are lawmakers from the constituents of Hasina's Awami League (AL) party-led ruling grand alliance, including ex-Bangladeshi president Hussein Muhammad Ershad's Jatiya Party.

Bangladesh's ruling coalition has initiated its moves to form the polls-time interim cabinet in line with Hasina's proposal which she had placed during her address to the nation last month.

Ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its 17-party alliance have already rejected Hasina's all-party polls-time government proposal.

Khaleda has asked Hasina's Bangladesh AL party to bring back a caretaker system, or else it would not participate in the next polls because it feared an election without a caretaker government would not be free and fair.

Bangladesh's government ministers Nov 11 submitted their resignation letters to Prime Minister Hasina ahead of the cabinet reshuffle as part of the formation of an all-party interim government to conduct the parliament polls slated for early 2014.

At a cabinet meeting Nov 5, all ministers reportedly decided that they would resign in the next seven days to pave the way for the formation of the all-party polls-time government headed by Prime Minister Hasina.

The term of the Bangladesh parliament is due to expire Jan 24 next year and elections should be held within 90 days before its expiry.