Sheikh Hasina, Awami League President and daughter of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is set to take charge as Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the fourth time. She is going to form a new government after the landslide victory in the eleventh parliamentary elections held on Sunday. As a result, Sheikh Hasina will be the prime minister for the fourth time and for three times consecutively. Hasina will be first fourth time Prime Minister of Bangladesh. On June 23 in 1996, Hasina took office as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the first time. Under her dynamic leadership, Bangladesh Awami League achieved win in the parliamentary elections with a big margin held on June 12 of that year. The 9th parliamentary elections were organized on December 29 in 2008. In the election, Bangladesh Awami League-led grand alliance got absolute majority and on January 6, 2009, Sheikh Hasina took the charge of Prime Minister for the second time. After the Awami League's absolute victory in the general elections held on January 5, 2014, Sheikh Hasina took oath as the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh for the third time on January 12. MHK

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep concern as the results turned questionable and controversial following allegation of code of conduct violation including applying force and loss of 19 lives. Besides, the organization has demanded for judicial inquiry over the incident of Representation of People Order (RPO) violation throughout the country including Dhaka known through mass media. TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman upheld this demand in a statement on Monday. He said, we demanded that level playing grounds be created for all stakeholders from the beginning. However, news of attacks, repression and lawsuits intended to harass the candidates and their supporters of a contending alliance as reported by the national and international media is an ominous sign for democracy. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, such harassment allegedly continued even the night before and day of elections. The most worrying fact is that people might lose their confidence on the system of democracy. He said, the way the Chief Election Commissioner tried to shrug off the allegations regarding the polling agents of an alliance is embarrassing and the concern has deepened whether the commission could effectively carry out its constitutional duty. He also said, the negative incidents like violation of RPO happened even in the capital in the name of lunch time break in the election. The way it was published in the local and international media in the reports that cannot be said as propaganda. Besides, leaving the spot with box fill up with ballot papers before the voting starts, running short of ballot papers before casting votes of many voters, assaulting candidate in the vote center-TIB thinks that these incidents need immediate investigations.     Iftekharuzzaman said, Ensuring justice through a judicial probe of the allegations will be of immense value for the credibility, self-confidence and public trust of a government that is being formed in the wake of an unprecedented outcome of an unprecedented election. AH    

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and her party for landslide victory in the 11th parliamentary election. According to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Indian Prime Minister conveyed his greetings over telephone on Monday. Hasina-led Awami League has won 259 seats in the election held on Sunday. Awami League is now going to form government for the third consecutive term. MHK

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the win of the Awami League-led Grand Alliance in the 11th national election is another victory for the people of the country in December --the month of victory. The Prime Minister came up with the remarks when political leaders as well as senior officials of civil and military administration greeted her at her office in the capital on Monday, marking reelection of her party with absolute majority in the national election. Reports UNB. Sheikh Hasina said the victory is nothing for her for personal gains, rather it is a great responsibility towards the country and its people. The Prime Minister said she thinks her reelection is a great opportunity to serve the country and materialize the dreams of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through completing his unfinished tasks. She also extended her greetings to the country’s people on the occasion of the New Year. The leaders and officials greeted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by presenting her bouquets. The political leaders and government officials include Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Prime Minister’s Advisers Dr Toufique-e Elahi Chowdhury and Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Najma Rahman, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, Public Administration Secretary, the chiefs of the three services, the IGP, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary and BGB and RAB Director Generals. Prime Minister’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana and Prime Minister’s daughter Saima Wazed Hossain were present on the occasion. AH

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will brief foreign observers and journalists on the December 30 eleventh parliamentary elections on Monday afternoon. The press conference will be held at 4pm, said Awami League joint general secretary Abdur Rahman. He was talking to reporters at Awami League President Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmondi political office in the capital. He, however, did not clarify where the press meet will be held. Abdur Rahman said Sheikh Hasina is on course to take oath as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the fourth time. Awami League has secured absolute majority by winning 259 seats in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday. Jatiya Party (JP) won in 20 constituencies, Independent candidates three, Workers Party (WP) three and Jatiya Samajtanrtik Dal (JSD) and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh won two seats each. Besides, Bangladesh Tariqat Federation and Jatiya Party (Manju) won one seat each. The opposition alliance, Jatiya Oikyafront, won seven seats, of which BNP won five seats and Gono Forum won two seats. Terming the election farcical, Jatiya Oikyafront top leader Dr Kamal Hossain has rejected polls results citing allegations of vote rigging and demanded the Election Commission to hold fresh polls under a non-partisan interim government.   MHK