After 5 ministers and state ministers, chief whip also from Barishal division
Newly elected member of parliament from Barguna-2 (Patharghata–Bamna–Betagi) and vice-chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Nurul Islam Moni has been made chief whip of the Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament).
Secretary of the Jatiya Sangsad secretariat, Kaniz Mowla confirmed the appointment citing the relevant gazette notification on Monday.
Earlier, two full ministers and three state ministers from Barishal division had already been included in the newly formed cabinet led by prime minister Tarique Rahman.
With the appointment of Nurul Islam (Moni) as chief whip, holding ministerial rank, Barishal division now has representation from all but one of its districts, Jhalakathi. Notably, two members of the cabinet hail from Barishal district itself.
Nurul Islam has been elected MP from the Barguna-2 constituency on four occasions. In the 8th parliament, he served as chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology.
He has also held various significant positions in parliament, including that of panel speaker.
Previously, from this division, Abul Hasanat Abdullah, MP from Barishal-1 representing the Awami League, served as chief whip in the 6th parliament. Later, in the 10th parliament formed in 2014, ASM Feroz, MP from Patuakhali-2, also held the position.
Nurul Islam Moni was first elected to parliament in 1988 as an independent candidate and was re-elected as an independent in 1991.
In 2001, he was elected as a BNP candidate. In the recently concluded 13th parliamentary elections, he again secured victory as a BNP candidate, defeating the nominee of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
After nearly 46 years, the BNP achieved an absolute victory in the Barishal division. Of the 21 seats in the division, BNP and its alliance partners won 18 in the election. Previously, in the 2nd parliamentary election held in 1979, the BNP had also secured 18 seats in the division.
Five members from the Barishal division representing the BNP and its allied parties were sworn into the cabinet formed on 18 February. Among them, Zahir Uddin Swapon, MP for Barishal-1 and adviser to the BNP chairman, took oath as Minister for Information and Broadcasting.
Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, MP for Bhola-3 and member of the BNP standing committee, was sworn in as Minister for Liberation War Affairs.
In addition, Md Rajib Ahsan, MP for Barishal-4 and central general secretary of the Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal; Ahmed Sohel Manzur, MP for Pirojpur-2; and Nurul Haque Nur, MP for Patuakhali-3 and president of the Gono Odhikar Parishad, an ally of the BNP, were sworn in as state ministers.