With the oath taking ceremony of Bangladesh Prime Minister’s consecutive fourth term, Sheikh Hasina, elder daughter of the country’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became world’s longest-serving female head of the government.
On January 11, 2024, Sheikh Hasina formed the government for the fourth consecutive term with a 37-member cabinet as she took oath as the prime minister for fifth term.
Her council of ministers included 25 ministers and 11 state ministers.
The ministers, who took oath, are: AKM Mozammel Haque, Obaidul Quader, Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Asaduzzaman Khan, Dr. Dipu Moni, Md Tajul Islam, Muhammad Faruk Khan, Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali, Anisul Huq, Dr Hasan Mahmud, Md Abdus Shahid, Sadhan Chandra Majumder, RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, Md Abdur Rahman, Narayan Chandra Chand, Abdus Salam, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Farhad Hossain, Md Faridul Haque Khan, Md Zillul Hakim, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Nazmul Hasan, Architect Yeafesh Osman and Samanta Lal Sen.
The state ministers are: Simeen Hussain Rimi, Nasrul Hamid, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Mohammad Ali Arafat, Md Mahibbur Rahman, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Zaheed Farooque, Kujendra Lal Tripura, Rumana Ali, Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury and Ahsanul Islam Titu.
President’s spouse Dr Rebecca Sultana, PM’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana and other family members were present at the function.
Attired in a white Jamdani saree, Sheikh Hasina was looking confident and lively at the Durbar Hall. The spacious hall was overflowing with the invited guests, while many of them were seen standing along the walls.
Xi Jinping congratulates Sheikh Hasina
Chinese President Xi Jinping has greeted Sheikh Hasina on her re-election as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
In a letter wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Chinese president said on behalf of the government and people of China and on his own, “I would like to extend to you my warm congratulations and best wishes”.
He said China and Bangladesh are neighbors with long-established friendship, adding, “Over the past 49 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, both our countries have always respected each other, treated each other equally, and achieved mutual benefit and win-win results”.
Xi Jinping said, “We firmly support each other on issues that bear on each other’s core interests, and jointly pursue the development and revitalization of each country, bringing tangible benefits to our two peoples”.
In this regard, he mentioned their last August meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, where both of them reached important consensus on the development of China-Bangladesh relations.
“It is expected that China and Bangladesh would make joint efforts to further implement the important consensus we have reached, enhance political mutual trust, promote traditional friendship, further synergize development strategies, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, so as to uplift the China-Bangladesh Strategic Partnership of Cooperation to a new height”, he said.
The Chinese president wished Sheikh Hasina good health, rewarding career and every success in life.
“May Bangladesh enjoy prosperity and its people happiness”, he ended.
