DHAKA, Oct 9: Bangladesh’s new cabinet led by BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia will be sworn-in on Wednesday amidst threats of a “blockade” by the Awami League.

Khaleda Zia will also take oath as premier the same day.

The Awami League has already announced its ‘blockade’ programme against the oath-taking ceremony. The AL complains of massive rigging in the Oct 1 general elections.

Observers, however, fear large scale violence at the hands of opposition supporters. The newly-elected MPs are supposed to attend the oath-taking ceremony at Bangabhaban, the Presidential Palace, on Wednesday evening.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the outgoing Speaker Abdul Hamid of Awami League administered oath to the newly-elected parliamentarians belonging to the BNP-led four-party alliance. Later, he was also sworn-in.

The parliamentary party of the BNP-led alliance later at a meeting unanimously elected Begum Khaleda Zia as the leader of the house.

The oath-taking affair will continue on Wednesday and Thursday, but the MPs belonging to the opposition Awami League are unlikely to take oath.

However, a resolution adopted at the Chittagong City Awami League meeting on Monday unanimously decided against boycotting the parliament session. The meeting also urged the president to intervene and make good sense prevail.

Meanwhile, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina Wajid on Tuesday told a press conference that she and her party members would not join the parliament, and as such have decided not to take oath.

She vowed that during the day-long blockade on Wednesday (today), no traffic would ply in the city. She will announce her next move today.

A. M. A Muhith, former secretary to the government who joined the Awami League weeks before the October 1 polls and contested from a Sylhet constituency, observed that the Awami League “should join the parliament”.