Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) Thursday evening in a gazette notification officially published the results of the country's ninth parliamentary elections held on Monday.

The EC declared 299 contestants, including 4 independent ones, as elected members of the country's ninth National Parliament.

Polls for 299 out of all 300 parliament seats were held on Monday while polls for the other one seat were postponed to Jan. 12 after a candidate died earlier.

According to the gazette, the major party Awami League (AL) led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina won 230 seats out of 299, more than enough to form a new government after ruling the country in 1996-2001.

The other major party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won 29 seats. BNP was ruling party in 1991-1996 and 2001-2006.

Awami League's key ally in the elections Jatiya Party won 27 seats while BNP's key ally Jamaat-e-Islami won 2 seats.

Other four small parties share 7 seats while 4 seats were grabbed by independent contestants.

Newly elected members of the Bangladesh National Parliament (MP) are likely to be sworn-in on Jan. 4, when the Leader of the House will be elected by MPs, an MP-elect Abdus Shaheed said.

President of Awami League Sheikh Hasina obviously will be elected as the Leader of the House, he said.

As per rules, Hasina, after being elected as the Leader of the House, will request the President of Bangladesh to swear-in her new cabinet.

H T Imam, co-chair of Awami League election steering committee, told reporters Thursday evening that the new cabinet headed by Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister is likely to be administered oath by President Iajuddin Ahmed on any day between Jan. 5 and 7.

(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2009)