50-member cabinet in Tarique Rahman’s govt

The leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which secured a decisive victory in the 13th national parliamentary election, took their oaths as members of parliament on Tuesday morning.

The members of the new cabinet are scheduled to be sworn in this afternoon at the South Plaza of the national parliament.

In total, 25 full ministers and 24 state ministers will take oath. Under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, a 50-member cabinet is being formed.

Those invited to take oath as full ministers include: Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud (Tuku), Major (retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, AZM Zahid Hossain, Khalilur Rahman (technocrat), former security adviser to the interim government, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain Kaikobad, Mizanur Rahman Minu, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Ariful Haque Choudhhury, Zahir Uddin Swapon, Mohammad Amin ur Rashid (technocrat), Afroza Khanam (Rita), Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, Asadul Habib Dulu, Md Asaduzzaman, Zakaria Taher, Dipen Dewan, ANM Ehshanul Hoque Milon, Sardar Sakhawat Hossain (Bakul), Fakir Mahbub Anam (Swapan), Sheikh Rabiul Alam

24 state ministers

In total, 24 leaders are set to be sworn in as state ministers. They are: M Rashiduzzaman Millat, Anindya Islam Amit, Md Shariful Alam, Shama Obaed Islam, Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Kaiser Kamal, Farhad Hossain Azad, Aminul Haque (technocrat), Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin, Habibur Rashid, Md Rajib Ahsan, Md Abdul Bari, Mir Shahe Alam, Farzana Sharmin Putul, Sheikh Faridul Islam, Yaser Khan Chowdhury, AK Iqbal Hossain, MA Muhit, Ahmed Sohel Manzur, Bobby Hajjaj, and, Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam

Young politician Anindya Islam (Amit) is set to join the cabinet as a state minister.

His media wing coordinator, Sujayet Suman, confirmed that “Anindya Islam Amit has received a phone call to take oath as a state minister. The specific ministry has not yet been confirmed.”

Anindya Islam is the younger son of the late BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) standing committee member and former minister Tariqul Islam, and BNP vice-chairman professor Nargis Begum.

Having grown up in a political family, he currently holds significant organisational responsibilities within the party, serving as acting organising secretary for the Khulna division of the BNP.

Lakshmipur-3 (Sadar upazila) MP Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, BNP joint secretary general, has received a call from the cabinet division to join as a cabinet member.

This is the third time Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee has been elected as an MP. Earlier, he served as an MP from the same constituency in 2001 and 2008.

Brahmanbaria-6 (Bancharampur) MP Zonayed Saki, the chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan, has received a call from the cabinet division to take oath as a state minister.

The following leaders have, so far, received calls to take oath as ministers in the new cabinet: Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, Major (retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Md Zahid Hossain, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain Kaikobad, Mizanur Rahman Minu, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Ariful Haque Choudhury, Zahir Uddin Swapon, Afroza Khanam Rita, Asadul Habib Dulu, Md Asaduzzaman, Zakaria Taher, Dipen Dewan, ANM Ehshanul Hoque Milon, Mohammad Amin ur Rashid, Khalilur Rahman.

Among them, Mohammad Amin ur Rashid and Khalilur Rahman are set to take oath as technocrat ministers.

The swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet is scheduled to take place this Tuesday afternoon.

Dipen Dewan, elected from Rangamati on the nomination of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the 13th national parliamentary election, has received a call from the cabinet division, according to a close source.

This is his first term as a member of parliament. He is set to be inducted into the cabinet as well.

Farzana Sharmin, Member of Parliament from the Natore-1 constituency, has received an invitation to take oath as a state minister. She was elected from Natore-1 (Lalpur–Bagatipara) as a candidate of the BNP.

Kayser Kamal has received a call to take oath as a state minister. He was elected from the Netrokona-1 (Kalmakanda–Durgapur) constituency and has been elected to Parliament for the first time.

Contacted around 1:15 pm, he told Prothom Alo, “I received a call at about 10:30 this morning to take oath as State Minister for Land. I want to repay the trust the party has placed in me through my work. I seek everyone’s prayers.”

The new cabinet will see BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Salahuddin Ahmed, Hafizuddin Ahmed, central leader Abdul Awal Mintoo, AZM Zahid Hossain, Mizanur Rahman Minu, Md Asaduzzaman, and Afroza Khanam Rita take the oath. They all have received calls from the cabinet division to attend the swearing-in.

Zakaria Taher (Sumon) has received a call to be sworn-in as a state minister.

Khalilur Rahman, national security adviser in the interim government, has received a call to be sworn-in as a minister under the technocrat quota.

M Rashiduzzaman Millat, elected from Jamalpur-1 (Dewanganj-Bakshiganj) in the 13th national parliament election, has received a call to be sworn-in as a state minister.

Former footballer Aminul Haque has received a call to be sworn-in as a state minister. The cabinet division contacted him regarding the oath. He contested in the election from Dhaka-16 but lost. Now, he will take the oath as a technocrat.

Forhad Hossain Azad, elected from Panchagarh-2 (Boda and Debiganj) constituency representing the BNP, is set to become a state minister. He serves as the BNP’s national executive committee secretary for rural development and as the secretary of Panchagarh district BNP unit.

Haji Aminur Rashid Yasin has received a call to take the oath as a state minister. He will be sworn in as a technocrat state minister.

Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain Kaikobad, the BNP candidate from Comilla-3 (Muradnagar), is set to become a minister. He has contested this seat six times and won on all six occasions.

Ariful Haque Choudhury has received a call to take oath as a minister. Elected as an MP for the first time, he told Prothom Alo at 12:30 pm, “I will work together with everyone. The party has valued a grassroots worker like me, and I hope to repay that trust through my work. I seek everyone’s prayers.”

Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, MP for Sylhet-1 (City and Sadar), has been slated to join the new cabinet as a full minister. Speaking to Prothom Alo at 12:30 pm today, Tuesday, he said, “I seek the prayers of the people of Sylhet and the nation. I hope to live up to the trust the party has shown in me.”

The new cabinet will take oath this evening. The cabinet division has called Khandaker Abdul Muktadir to be sworn in as a minister. This is his first term as an elected MP.

Zahir Uddin Swapon, the MP for Barishal-1, has also received a call to be sworn in as a cabinet member. This BNP leader has been called to be sworn in as a minister.

Mir Shahe Alam, elected from Bogura-2 (Shibganj) as the BNP-nominated 'Dhaner Sheesh (sheaf of paddy)' candidate, has received a call to take oath as a state minister. He is also the vice-president of Bogura District BNP.

Nurul Haque (Nur), elected from Patuakhali-3 (Galachipa–Dashmina) in the 13th National Parliament election, has received a call to take oath as a state minister.

Shariful Alam, the newly elected member of parliament (MP) from Kishoreganj-6, has received a call to serve as a state minister.

The BNP-elected MP, who won his seat for the first time in this election, took oath as a member of parliament today, Tuesday.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone, he confirmed that he had received a call regarding his appointment as a state minister.

Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and the Speaker of India’s Lok Sabha, Om Birla, are arriving in Dhaka today, Tuesday, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s new government.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain will receive the president of the Maldives and the prime minister of Bhutan, while the foreign secretary will welcome the speaker of India’s Lok Sabha.

Among the guests, the president of the Maldives has arrived on a regular flight. The prime minister of Bhutan and the speaker of India’s Lok Sabha are travelling to Dhaka on special flights.

Meanwhile, representatives from the United Kingdom, Turkey, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka arrived in Dhaka between Monday afternoon and early Tuesday to attend the ceremony. The UK will be represented by its Indo-Pacific Under-Secretary Seema Malhotra; Turkey by Under-Secretary Beris Ekinci; Pakistan by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal; Nepal by Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma; and Sri Lanka by Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa.

To attend the swearing-in of the new government, interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus invited the heads of government of 14 countries last Saturday, including China, Japan, India and Pakistan. The other countries are Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan.

However, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia and Brunei will be represented at the ceremony by their respective ambassadors stationed in Bangladesh.

The BNP is set to form the government after securing more than two-thirds of the seats in the 13th national parliament election held on 12 February.

The new cabinet may comprise 50 members. The cabinet division is sending 49 vehicles to transport the new ministers to and from the swearing-in ceremony. Of them, 25 are expected to be full ministers and 24 state ministers, according to sources.

The cabinet division has already begun calling prospective members to invite them to take the oath. Among them, former state minister for education Ehshanul Hoque Milon has reportedly received a call, sources concerned said.

Immediately after the newly elected members of parliament took their oaths, the cabinet division began issuing invitations to members of the new cabinet.

Ehshanul Hoque Milon was confirmed to have received his call at around 11:30 am Tuesday to join the cabinet, according to a close source who spoke to Prothom Alo.

The oath-taking ceremony for those appointed as ministers and state ministers is scheduled for 4:00 pm today at the South Plaza of the national parliament. Invitations are being issued to all who are to be sworn in.

Ehshanul Hoque Milon, the MP for Chandpur–1, previously served as deputy minister of education in Khaleda Zia’s government in 2001.

He has once again been elected from the same constituency.

In the 13th parliamentary elections, the BNP secured a two-thirds majority, and its newly elected MPs took their oaths this morning under the leadership of party chairman Tarique Rahman.

While they were sworn in as MPs, they did not take the oath as members of the constitutional reform council.