Polls-time cabinet may not be relevant this time: Hasina

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday expressed her confusion about the formation of an election-time smaller cabinet like the one formed before the 2014 ballot, this time around.

There were speculations that a polls-time government would be formed once the election schedule is announced. More than one ruling party leaders made broad hints about such an election-time government quite a number of times.

Asked at a press conference at her Ganabhaban residence when such a government would be formed, the prime minister said with a smile, “What’s wrong with a bigger cabinet?”

When Sheikh Hasina posed a counter question about legal provision of such polls-time cabinet, the senior journalist said, “It’s not in the law.”

The prime minister, however, argued that her government’s development programmes may be affected should she downsize her cabinet.

“Whom should I drop and retain?… Ministers are responsible for development projects and I fear if one minister is given responsibility of looking after many projects, the speed of implementation may be hampered,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina, also president of ruling Bangladesh Awami League, recalled that she had offered the then opposition party in parliament Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) cabinet portfolios to bring it to the elections.

The BNP and all major opposition parties then boycotted the 2014 parliamentary polls and AL and its allies won the ballot with 153 members of parliament out of 300 elected without contest.

“This time, all the parties that have representation in parliament are given cabinet portfolios. So, let’s see if it is necessary [to downsize the cabinet],” she said. “We’ll look into it if the opposition demands.”

She added that she consulted with leaders of the countries that practice parliamentary form of government. “They told me that there is no such thing [smaller cabinet during the holding of the election],” she claimed.

Sheikh Hasina also acknowledged that she had discussed the issue of the polls-time cabinet with the leader of the opposition in parliament, that is Rawshan Ershad, wife of Jatiya Party president HM Ershad.

About announcement of the election schedule, the prime minister said it is the jurisdiction of the election commission to announce and hold the polls.