State Minister Tarana Halim takes up new assignment at information ministry

State Minister Tarana Halim, who was transferred from the telecoms ministry to the information ministry in the cabinet re-shuffle, has begun work at her new offices.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 7 Jan 2018, 08:30 AM
Updated : 7 Jan 2018, 10:04 AM

She went to her new offices on Sunday and received with flowers by ministry officials.

Halim then called upon Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu.

Tarana lost posts and telecoms when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reshuffled her cabinet after three new ministers and a state minister were sworn in last Tuesday, with a year left for the current government.

When the actress-turned-cultural activist was made state minister for posts and telecoms two and a half years ago, the ministry did not have a minister.

Now she will be playing second fiddle to seasoned politician Minister Inu.

Media reports had stated she was upset about her being shunted aside from posts and telecommunications to the information ministry.

She did not receive phone calls until Thursday, the last workday of the week, amid speculation she might take her leave of absence.

She was seen at her previous office Tarana for the last time on Dec 27.

She was scheduled to speak at a news briefing on Wednesday about the achievements of the Posts and Telecommunications Division in the past two years but postponed the event.

“I won't say why there is no state minister for telecoms now,” Mustafa Jabbar, the newly appointed posts, telecommunications and IT minister, told the media on Wednesday.

“It is beyond me that the telecom division has had serious problems and there had been no initiatives to resolve them,” he said.