The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pulack Ghatack

Most of the old faces, along with a dozen of new, are crowding the preliminary list of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's choice, as the would be Prime Minister is now busy in finalising the names for her ensuing cabinet.

The former Prime Minister and the also leader of the winning alliance yesterday consulted party leaders, exclusively with seasoned politician Zillur Rahman, over cabinet choices, sources inside the party said.

The Awami League chief has decided to elect Zillur as the next President of the country, taking herself oath to the office of the Prime Minister.

The cabinet is likely to be limited to moderate size of 45 members which is set to take oath before January 10, the Home Coming Day of Bangobandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after Liberation War.

Awami, though has an absolute majority in the ninth parliament, will share a few ministries with the leaders of its allies to honour its previous commitment.

However, former military dictator Hussain Muhammed Ershad will not be rewarded with Presidency, though he claimed time and again that the grand Alliance leader earlier had promised him to make President.

"Honesty and integrity will be the main consideration in choosing cabinet members, as Awami League has learned much," a party stalwart said who also helped licking some possible names of ministers including himself.

"The party chief this time is very choosy in deciding the fate of her colleagues. She is seeking people who will be able to stay above corruption and bribery," he said adding, "the party will share a few ministries for the leaders of its allies in the Mohajote."

Though some mid-level AL leaders said that Sheikh Hasina would likely avoid picking old faces for the cabinet and select some new and younger ministers to reflect her desire for change, the former ministers are still crowding the new list.

According to the source, some of the names in Sheikh Hasina's next cabinet are: Matiya Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofial Ahmed, Syeda Chowdhury, Abdur Razzak, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Ashraful Islam, Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh, Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Asaduzzaman Noor, Sara Begum Kobori, Abul Maal Muhammed Muhit, Maj Gen Abdus Salam, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, Syed Mudassir Ali, Anisul Islam Mahmud, Golam Mohammed Kader, Rashed Khan Menon and Hasanul Hoque Inu.

Suranjit Sen Gupta, who last time performed as parliament affairs adviser to the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is going to be deprived again to be a minister, it is learnt.

However, HT Imam is most likely to be administrative adviser to the new Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, the newly elected MPs may be sworn in on Sunday if the parliament secretariat receives the gazette on official results of the ninth parliamentary polls on Friday.

The Election Commission yesterday published the gazette, some official told the New Nation over phone.

"If my office receives the gazette on Friday, I will administer the oath to the new lawmakers on Sunday," Speaker Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar told journalists.

The secretariat will remain open on Friday as part of preparation for the oath taking.

The Speaker said the AL wanted to take oath on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the parliament secretariat has already taken all necessary preparations for administering oaths to the newly elected MPs.

Different ministries and divisions, on the other hand, got busy refurbishing rooms for the ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers of the incoming government expected to be sworn in by Monday.

According to official sources, the Cabinet Division and the Ministry of Establishment were given instructions from the caretaker government's highest level to take necessary measures for accommodation of the would-be ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers as well as their private secretaries (PS), assistant private secretaries (APS), personnel officers and other personal staffs.

They have also been asked to arrange the housing and transport facilities for the new ministers and their staff members.