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Sheikh Hasina to be Sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister for 4th Consecutive Term
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, following her party’s resounding victory in the 7 January elections, is set to be sworn in as prime minister for the fourth consecutive term and will form her cabinet on Thursday (11 January), according to Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq.
The new cabinet will take the oath at the Bangabhaban at 7 pm on Thursday, as announced by the minister during a press briefing at the secretariat on 9 January.
On 10 January, MPs-elect in the elections will take their oath as the Election Commission approved the publication of the election results in official gazettes. Following the oath, Awami League’s parliamentary party will officially elect Sheikh Hasina as their leader and communicate this decision to the President, leading to her appointment as prime minister for the fifth time since her first term in 1996.
The president will then administer the oath to the new prime minister, who will advise the head of state on the appointment of ministers and state ministers, selected by her, to form the new cabinet. Specific details regarding the number of lawmakers serving as ministers or the composition of the cabinet were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission is expected to issue gazettes announcing the winners of the 12th national polls on the same day. According to Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath, the gazettes for all constituencies are likely to be announced on that day.
Regarding the opposition party in the parliament, Anisul mentioned that the role of independent candidates who won in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) polls would be crucial in its formation. The opposition’s composition will depend on how the independent candidates position themselves, and if they decide to act separately, Jatiyo Party will become the opposition.
The swearing-in ceremony for the elected members of the 12th Parliament is scheduled for 10 January. Awami League-backed candidates secured 222 seats in the general elections, while independent candidates, most of whom also belonged to the AL, won 62 seats. Jatiyo Party candidates secured 11 seats, and three single candidates from three parties—Bangladesh Workers’ Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod, and Bangladesh Kalyan Party—emerged victorious in their respective constituencies.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted that the ongoing mild to moderate heat wave affecting six regions of the country will persist for the next 24 hours from 9 am today.
The heat wave is currently sweeping over the Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions, as well as the districts of Tangail, Kishoreganj, and Naogaon. According to the BMD, this weather pattern is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
In addition to the heat wave, light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds are likely to occur in parts of the Khulna, Barishal, and Chattogram divisions. Isolated showers may also affect a few areas in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions, with moderately heavy rainfall expected in some locations across the country.
Despite these weather conditions, the BMD noted that daytime and nighttime temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged across Bangladesh.
On Wednesday, the highest temperature in the country was recorded at 37.5 degrees Celsius in Rangpur of Rangpur division, while today’s minimum temperature was 24.0 degrees Celsius, observed in Rangamati and Feni districts of Chattogram division.
Meanwhile, rainfall recorded over the last 24 hours, up until 6 am today, measured 54 mm in Sandwip of the Chattogram division.
In Dhaka, the sun is set to set at 5:58 pm today and will rise again at 5:47 am tomorrow.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed 17 cases against Beximco Group’s Vice-Chairman, Salman F Rahman, and 27 others, accusing them of laundering approximately Tk1,000 crore ($83 million) under the guise of export trade. This development was confirmed by Additional Superintendent of Police Azad Rahman through a notification on 18 September.
The investigation, conducted under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, found that Salman F Rahman and his brother, ASF Rahman, who serves as the Chairman of Beximco Group, were involved in laundering around Tk1,000 crore. This was done through the export of goods linked to 93 Letters of Credit (LCs) from Janata Bank PLC between 2021 and 2024. However, the proceeds from these exports were not repatriated to Bangladesh.
The CID revealed that the accused individuals, through an organised operation involving their affiliated companies, exported goods with the malicious intent of transferring money abroad. The probe indicated that they deliberately failed to return the export proceeds, violating multiple sections of the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
According to the CID, Salman F Rahman and his associates used their influence and collaborated with an organised criminal group to launder money. This resulted in 17 cases being filed by the CID’s financial crime unit at Motijheel Police Station.
Salman F Rahman, who has long been a prominent figure during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, is now facing an in-depth investigation by the CID’s financial crime unit. The investigation focuses on significant allegations of money laundering and financial misconduct, as highlighted in a preliminary report from the CID on 1 September.
Salman is also accused of laundering Tk33,470 crore abroad, allegedly obtained through loans from seven banks over the past 15 years. Of this, Tk21,681 crore was borrowed from state-owned Janata Bank, while Tk5,281 crore came from IFIC Bank, where Salman previously served as chairman.
In addition to these allegations, Salman is believed to have profited Tk6,600 crore through manipulation of the capital market and is accused of failing to repatriate Tk1,485 crore from export proceeds.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, in all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 AM today.
According to the BMD forecast, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions are likely to experience light to moderate rain or thundershowers, while Dhaka and Barishal divisions may see similar weather at a few locations. In Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Khulna divisions, rainfall is expected in one or two places, with some areas potentially experiencing moderately heavy showers.
The BMD also stated that both day and night temperatures might rise slightly across the country.
On Tuesday, the highest temperature was recorded at 36.5 degrees Celsius in Rajarhat, Rangpur division, while today’s lowest temperature was 24.6 degrees Celsius in Tetulia, also in Rangpur.
In the last 24 hours up to 6 AM today, Cumilla in the Chattogram division recorded 3 mm of rainfall.
The sun is expected to set at 5:58 PM today and rise at 5:46 AM tomorrow in Dhaka.
