Swearing-in of new ministers on Tuesday

Several new ministers will be sworn in on Tuesday evening in the first reshuffle by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she returned to power in January 2014.

But the number of new ministers and the portfolios they will be given is not yet clear.

The government's Transport Pool has sent five cars to the Secretariat in keeping with the Cabinet Division’s requirement for new ministers.

The sedans were seen parked in front of the Cabinet Division building at the Secretariat.

Ministers use similar government vehicles

The shining black cars, yet to sport the national flags, were seen ready with stand-by drivers.

Relevant officials have registered names and phone numbers of the drivers but have not yet given orders to pick anyone up, officials in the know of the reshuffle said.

bdnews24.com’s Bangabhaban Correspondent Sajidul Haque reported that the President’s schedule for Tuesday says the swearing-in ceremony will be held at 6pm at the Darbar Hall.

There has been no official word from the government amid rumours of a possible Cabinet reshuffle or expansion of the council of ministers.

Ruling Awami League MP Tarana Halim and former lawmaker Nurul Islam, however, told the media on Monday night they received phone calls from the Cabinet secretary and were asked to be ‘ready’.

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told bdnews24.com he was also called up.

Cabinet Division officials were seen busy since the morning. Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and other officials arrived at office at 8:30am.

A bdnews24.com correspondent found officials preparing folders for the oath-taking ceremony.

This will be the first reshuffle after Sheikh Hasina formed government for a second consecutive term last year.

Hasina and her council of ministers were sworn in on Jan 12, 2014.

AH Mahmood Ali was given charge of the foreign ministry while Nazrul Islam was made the state minister for water resources on Feb 26 that year.

Hasina removed Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam from the crucial LGRD ministry and made him a minister without portfolio last week.

Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, her daughter’s father-in-law, replaced Ashraf as the new LGRD minister.

The Cabinet secretary had told bdnews24.com that Mosharraf would continue to look after his old ministry, expatriates' welfare and overseas employment, “for the time being”.

Currently, there are no ministers at the helm of the home, ICT and telecoms ministries.

Last year, telecoms minister Abdul Latif Siddique was dropped from the Cabinet for his controversial remark on Hajj. He has subsequently been expelled from the Awami League.

At present, there are 29 ministers, 18 ministers of state and two deputy ministers.

The prime minister has a special envoy who enjoys the rank and status of a minister and five advisers.