The Cabinet size has expanded to 51 members following the swearing-in of new ministers and state ministers on Friday (21 August). Excluding the prime minister, the cabinet now comprises 26 ministers and 24 state ministers.
Prior to this expansion, the 48-member Cabinet consisted of 24 ministers and 23 state ministers, as well as Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
In several instances, full ministers, state ministers, and advisers to the prime minister are serving simultaneously in ministries.
Conversely, some lawmakers are managing as many as three ministries at once.
In other cases, ministries operate with both a minister and a state minister but lack an adviser, or are headed solely by a single minister.
Particular discussion has centred on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which now has two state ministers.
While ministries occasionally feature a combination of ministers, state ministers, or deputy ministers, the presence of two state ministers within a single ministry has drawn attention.
These administrative shifts follow Friday’s swearing-in of five new Cabinet members and the promotion of one state minister to full minister.
The administrative shifts
Beyond the 51 members, there are 10 advisers to the prime minister holding the rank of either minister or state minister, alongside three special assistants holding the rank of state minister.
Additionally, the executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) and Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations hold the rank of state minister.
Following the victory of the BNP in the 13th general election, the government led by Tarique took office on 17 February.
At that time, 25 ministers and 24 state ministers were sworn in alongside the prime minister.
Portfolio reassignments and Cabinet expansions have taken place multiple times since.
Five ministries currently have a full minister, a state minister, and an adviser concurrently, while two ministries operate with a minister, a state minister, and a special assistant.
Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury serves as the minister for both finance and planning, managing the Ministry of Finance alone.
Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki (Zonayed Saki) serves as the state minister for planning. Initially appointed as state minister for both finance and planning, his portfolio was reduced in March alongside seven other state ministers.
Meanwhile, Prof Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir serves as the prime minister’s adviser for finance and planning.
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs is led by Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury and State Minister Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam, with Zahed Ur Rahman serving as adviser with the rank of state minister.
Zahed also serves as adviser in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and on policy and strategy with the same rank.
Reduced and risen
Andaleeve Rahman Partho has been appointed as the new information minister, with Yasser Khan Choudhury serving as the state minister.
The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment includes a minister, a state minister, and an adviser. Ariful Haque Chowdhury serves as the minister, Md Nurul Haque Nur as state minister, and Mahdi Amin as the adviser.
Mahdi Amin also serves as adviser to the education, primary and mass education ministries, as well as labour and employment.
Furthermore, Ariful Haque Chowdhury concurrently holds the portfolio for the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education are headed by ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon.
Bobby Hajjaj serves as the state minister for primary and mass education ministry, having previously served as state minister for the Ministry of Education before his portfolio was reduced.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is led by Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo and State Minister Shaikh Faridul Islam.
While the ministry has no adviser, Md Saimum Parvez serves as special assistant to the prime minister.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is headed by Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain and State Minister MA Muhit, with Dr SM Ziauddin Hyder serving as the PM’s special assistant with the rank of state minister.
Foreign affairs
Developments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have drawn the most commentary.
Khalilur Rahman serves as foreign minister. Humayun Kabir, who previously served as the prime minister’s adviser for the ministry, was appointed as state minister for foreign affairs.
Shama Obaed Islam remains in her role as state minister for Foreign Affairs. With two state ministers now appointed, the ministry no longer has an adviser.
In other portfolio distribution changes, Abdul Moyeen Khan has taken charge as minister for local government, rural development and co-operatives, alongside State Minister Mir Shahe Alam.
Salahuddin Ahmed manages the Ministry of Home Affairs alone, without a state minister or adviser.
Meanwhile, Khandakar Abdul Muktadir holds the ministerial portfolios for three ministries: industry, textiles and jute, and commerce.
Neither the Ministry of Industries nor the Ministry of Commerce has a state minister, though BNP acting secretary general Md Ruhul Kabir Rizvi serves as the adviser for industries. Md Shariful Alam serves as state minister for textiles and jute.
Sheikh Rabiul Alam manages three portfolios as minister for road transport and bridges, railways, and shipping.
Habibur Rashid serves as state minister for railways and the Road Transport and Highways Division, while Md Razib Ahsan serves as state minister for Shipping and the Bridges Division.
The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources is headed by Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and State Minister Anindya Islam Amit, operating without an adviser.
AZM Zahid Hossain serves as minister for social welfare as well as women and children affairs. Farzana Sharmin serves as the state minister for social welfare, with no advisers assigned to either ministry.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs was previously headed by Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad.
Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln, lawmaker for Gaibandha-4, was appointed as state minister for the ministry.
Ahmed Azam Khan serves as minister for Liberation War Affairs alongside State Minister Ishraque Hossain, with no adviser assigned to the ministry.
The Ministry of Land is led by Minister Md Mizanur Rahman Minu and State Minister Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin.
Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin also serves as state minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs, while Sa Ching Prue Jerry has been appointed as the new minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs.
Afroza Khanam, formerly minister for civil aviation and tourism, has been reassigned as minister for food.
Former civil aviation state minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat has been promoted to full minister for the ministry, managing it individually.
Changes throughout
Former adviser Humayun Kabir to the same ministry has transitioned to his new role as state minister for foreign affairs.
Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid serves as minister for agriculture as well as fisheries and livestock. Nazrul Islam Khan serves as adviser for agriculture, while Sultan Salahuddin Tuku serves as state minister for fisheries and livestock.
The Ministry of Water Resources is led by Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and State Minister Forhad Hossain Azad.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is headed by Minister Asadul Habib Dulu and State Minister M Iqbal Hossain. Former adviser Humayun Kabir has been reassigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman manages the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs alone.
Zakaria Taher Sumon serves as minister for Housing and Public Works alongside State Minister Ahammad Sohel Manjur.
Faqir Mahbub Anam serves as minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology, as well as science and technology. Rehan Asif Asad serves as adviser with the rank of state minister for both ministries.
Md Abdul Bari serves as state minister for public administration, while Ismail Zabihullah serves as adviser with the rank of minister for the ministry.
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