"We will take oath after getting invitation from the President and I hope it will be within the first week of January," she told reporters after meeting President Iajuddin Ahmed on Wednesday at the Bangabhaban presidential palace.

Bangabhaban sources said the President told Hasina that she could form the government whenever she wanted. He said he would invite her as soon as possible.

Under the constitution, the president is to invite the winning party to form the government after the official gazette notification of the results while Election Commission officials said they were expecting to accomplish the task by later on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the mass circulated ‘Prothom Alo’ newspaper quoted a "highly placed" Awami League source as saying that the new government could be formed on January 5.