BNP cabinet unlikely to be large
BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman will be sworn in tomorrow, Tuesday, as the country’s new Prime Minister. Members of the cabinet will take the oath at the same time. There is widespread curiosity among the public and across various circles about who will be included in the new BNP cabinet.
Various lists of potential cabinet members have been circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms. However, several responsible BNP sources told Prothom Alo that none of these lists are entirely accurate.
Key party sources say the new cabinet may consist of 35 to 37 members. Among them, 26 to 27 could be full ministers, while 9 to 10 may be appointed as state ministers.
One or two additional members could be added at the last moment. Previously, in 2001, the BNP cabinet had 60 members, which drew widespread criticism in political circles at the time. Based on that experience, the party’s top leadership is now considering keeping the cabinet small.
Multiple responsible BNP sources say Tarique Rahman wants to form a cabinet combining senior and junior, experienced and capable leaders. To a large extent, he himself is determining who will be included, with one member of the party’s standing committee also involved in the process.
However, on Saturday and Sunday night, Tarique Rahman discussed cabinet formation with several leaders at the party’s policymaking level. None agreed to comment publicly on record.
BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman will serve as Prime Minister and Leader of the House. Discussions are underway about assigning key ministries to party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Salahuddin Ahmed.
Another standing committee member, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, and former Education Minister Osman Faruk are also under consideration. In addition, there are discussions about including central BNP leaders, leaders from allied parties, young leaders, district-level figures, and experts in the cabinet.
Questions and controversies over the functioning of some ministries
Political analysts say that to implement the commitments on good governance and civic services made by Tarique Rahman in the election manifesto, honest, competent, and qualified individuals must be included in the cabinet.
They note that during the BNP government from 2001 to 2006, various allegations of irregularities and corruption arose in ministries including Power, Energy and Mineral Resources; Shipping; Housing and Public Works; Commerce; and Communications.
These ministries were not managed efficiently. In particular, transmission lines were installed without ensuring power generation, which became widely discussed and criticised at the time. The Commerce Ministry was also criticised for failing to control abnormal price hikes in essential commodities.
There were similarly many questions and controversies surrounding the Home Ministry during the 2001–06 government. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was formed in 2004 to combat terrorism, but allegations soon emerged of its involvement in extrajudicial killings.
Questions were also raised about intelligence failures and the ministry’s functioning following the nationwide bomb attacks in 63 districts on 17 August 2005. Additionally, strong criticism emerged over the ministry’s handling of the 10-truck arms smuggling case and the 21 August grenade attack.
Likewise, the Housing and Public Works Ministry’s activities were questioned. Allegations of irregularities in plot allocations in the capital embarrassed the government; the incident became known in the media as “BNP Palli.”
A donor country withdrew funding over corruption allegations in a project under the Shipping Ministry. Irregularities were also alleged in the registration of CNG-run auto-rickshaws under the Communications Ministry.
Beginning of a positive trend in politics
In the new political context following the July mass uprising, attention across all quarters is focused on the shape of the BNP’s new cabinet as the party returns to power after 19 years. Tarique Rahman has expressed his determination to rebuild a new Bangladesh in the post-fascism era.
After winning more than two-thirds of the seats, the BNP chairperson emphasized national unity and sent a clear message that politics of revenge or retaliation would not be tolerated under any circumstances in the post-election environment.
At a formal press conference on Saturday, Tarique Rahman spoke about the need for both government and opposition parties to act responsibly from their respective positions to institutionalise democracy.
Calling on political parties, he said, “Your ideas are important to us in building the country. Our paths and views may differ, but we are all united in the national interest. I believe national unity is our strength, division our weakness.”
The day after this statement, yesterday, Tarique Rahman paid courtesy visits to the residence of Jamaat ameer Shafiqur Rahman and National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam. Political observers view this initiative, taken before forming the government, as the beginning of a positive trend in politics.
The visits are being seen as significant efforts by the BNP chairperson, who is about to assume responsibility for governing the country, to overcome divisions and foster national unity for peace and stability.
Inclusion of capable individuals is essential
After the landslide victory, Tarique Rahman promised at the press conference to establish the rule of law, stating that the law must apply equally to all citizens — whether from the ruling party, opposition, or holding differing views.
Asked what the main challenges would be after forming the government, he said the economy must be fixed, law and order must be controlled, and governance ensured, as the previous government had politicised nearly all institutions.
Political analysts believe that to accomplish these tasks, it is crucial to include honest, efficient, hardworking, and farsighted individuals in the cabinet. They note that the BNP manifesto pledged to establish a “Truth and Healing Commission” to ensure victim-centered and rehabilitative justice, which would require capable individuals in government to implement.
During the campaign, the BNP repeatedly spoke out against corruption and gave top priority to anti-corruption measures in its manifesto. Public trust in these commitments is evident from the election results. Therefore, it is expected that the party will promote honest and competent individuals in government and administration.
Political observers say the extent to which Tarique Rahman can implement his governance promises will be largely indicated by the composition of the cabinet.
Former caretaker government adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman wrote in Prothom Alo yesterday that it is very important for the new government to send early economic “signalling.” The practical competence of those running the cabinet and the state will also serve as an important signal.
Several other prominent citizens have similarly emphasised, in interviews and commentaries, the need to include capable individuals in the new cabinet.