The newly inducted ministers and state ministers say they will carry out their responsibilities with sincerity.
Published : 14 Jul 2015, 09:50 PM
The ministers were sworn in the first shakeup in Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet on Tuesday.
New Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam BSc told reporters, “I’ll identify and resolve problems.”
The Chittagong Awami League leader replaces Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, the LGRD and cooperatives minister.
Hossain was given additional charge of the overseas ministry after replacing Syed Ashraful Islam as the LGRD minister last week.
In his reaction, Nurul Islam said it was an opportunity to do something for the country with the responsibility the prime minister gave him.
“I’ll try to give people something good.
“I don’t see any big challenges. I want to move ahead despite the challenges and three years is enough time.
“I hope I can make good progress in these three years.”
State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Tarana Halim sees her appointment as “a victory for women empowerment”.
The reserve seat MP, a popular actress, has been active in politics for the past several years.
“Arts is something I hold very dear, its a matter of my belief,” she said. “I want to prove that the prime minister did not make a mistake by entrusting me with the responsibilities.”
“I’ll be loyal to the prime minister and give my all to do the job she has given me and serve the people,” she added.
The posts and telecoms ministry has been without a minister since Abdul Latif Siddique was axed last year for his controversial remark about Hajj.
Nuruzzaman Ahmed, an MP from Lalmonirhat-2 constituency, was sworn in as State Minister for Food.
The first-time MP said he would “assist the prime minister”, who he says, was running the country successfully.
“I want to discharge my duties consciously with honesty and sincerity,” the Kaliganj Upazila unit Awami League chief said.
His father Karim Uddin Ahmed was elected a Member of National Assembly in the 1970 elections in Pakistan that the Awami League had won.
Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Yeafesh Osman have been elevated to the Cabinet.
Kamal has been put at the helm of the home ministry where he was a minister of state until now.
Osman will oversee the science and technology ministry where he was a state minister.
He said he would work ‘sincerely’ like before.
“The feeling has not changed much,” Osman told bdnews24.com when asked about his reaction to his promotion.
“It’s because I’ll continue to do the work I’ve been doing,” he explained. “I’ve worked sincerely before and will continue to do so.”
Asked if he viewed his promotion as a reward, Osman replied: “I didn’t ask the prime minister to make me a minister. She did so because she thought it would be good.”
The son of renowned writer Shawkat Osman said apart from official duties, he would continue writing poems.
Minister Kamal, responding to a question, said being in the Cabinet was not about having increased responsibilities or otherwise.
“I’ve been given this responsibility to be more careful,” he said.
“The prime minister was with me like a shadow. She still guides me.
“I was in a challenging environment before and I’ll continue to do what I did in the past.”