The head of Bangladesh's winning parliamentary alliance consulted party leaders on Thursday over cabinet choices while officials said the outgoing interim government would likely transfer power next week. Sheikh Hasina, a former prime minister, looks set for another chance at leading the impoverished country after her Awami League and its allies won an overwhelming victory in a parliamentary election on Monday. The poll returned the South Asia nation of 140 million people to democracy after two years of emergency rule under an interim authority that took over at a time of political chaos. One of Hasina's party leaders, who declined to be identified, said she would likely avoid picking old faces for the cabinet and select some new and younger ministers. “This will reflect her desire for change,” the source said. Another official said the army-backed interim government aimed to transfer power late next week. Hasina's Awami League said it wanted the transition to be completed before Jan. 10. The Awami League and its allies won more than two-thirds of parliament's 300 seats in Bangladesh's first election in seven years. A coalition led by Hasina's bitter rival, Begum Khaleda Zia, won just 31 seats. Khaleda has rejected the election result, claiming the vote was rigged, but international monitors have said the election was fair and credible. “It was her (Khaleda's) immediate outburst but gradually she, too, will realise the vote was fair and honest,” said retired major-general Golam Quader, an adviser (minister) of the outgoing interim government. Chief Election Commissioner A.T.M. Shamsul Huda told reporters on Thursday: “In democracy, power lies with the people. I hope ex-PM Khaleda Zia will not disregard people's verdict.” It was the worst election showing for Khaleda's Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which ruled the country for two five-year terms over 15 years until 2006. “We know beyond any doubt the election was rigged and results were tailored,” BNP secretary-general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said on Thursday. A senior opposition party leader would not rule out cooperation. In the past, losing parties have often resorted to strikes and street protests that can turn violent - and provide a rationale for political intervention by the military. Analysts said they believed Hasina's offer was not just rhetoric.
