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Sheikh Hasina is about to introduce a flurry of fresh faces to her cabinet.
Published : 06 Jan 2019, 07:27 PM
The Awami League chief left out many senior leaders of her own party and allies while picking ministers for the new government.
Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Matia Chowdhury, Mohammad Nasim – senior Awami League leaders -- are off the cabinet along with leaders of coalition partners Rashed Khan Menon, Hasanul Haq Inu and Anwar Hossain Manju.
The Cabinet Division released a list of members on Sunday afternoon, a day before the new cabinet is scheduled to take oath of office.
The Awami League-led Grand Alliance swept the 11th general election held on Dec 30, securing a third consecutive term in power with an absolute majority in parliament amid complaints of rigging and other irregularities by opposition leaders.
Of the 46 politicians including the prime minister listed in the new cabinet, 31 are newcomers. As many as 34 ministers from Hasina’s previous cabinet have been left out.
Five junior ministers have been promoted as full ministers, according to the list.
Only AHM Mustafa Kamal, Obaidul Quader, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, AKM Mozammel Haque and Anisul Huq survived from the previous cabinet.
Of them, Mustafa Kamal has been promoted to head the finance ministry, a move up from his old position as planning minister. The other four have retained their office.
Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, who has been heading the finance ministry, has talked about retiring. He did not contest in the polls and is not among those listed as ministers.
Senior ministers who will be bowing out of Hasina’s cabinet also include Nurul Islam Nahid, Qamrul Islam, Mosharraf Hossain, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Asaduzzaman Noor.
Mosharraf Hossain, whose son is married to Hasina’s daughter, is leaving after serving two terms as minister. So is Noor.
Shajahan Khan and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, considered influential leaders in government, are also out as shipping and relief minister, respectively.
The others to leave include Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Jute Minister Emaz Uddin Pramanik, Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif, Railway Minister Mazibul Hoque, Fisheries Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda, Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman, Civil Aviation and Tourism AKM Shahjahan Kamal and Religious Affairs Minister Matior Rahman.
Technocrat minister Yeafesh Osman, who resigned as minister of science and technology prior to the Dec 30 parliamentary elections, has been reinstated to his former office. Mustafa Jabbar will also stay on as posts, telecommunication and information technology minister.
Awami League Presidium member Md Abdur Razzaque and the party’s Joint General Secretary Dipu Moni, are also returning to the cabinet after missing out in the previous term.
Nine ministers of state from the previous cabinet have been left out this time. They include State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder, State Minister for Textile and Jute Mirza Azam, State Minister for Public Administration Ismat Ara Sadique, State Minister for Water Resources Md Nazrul Islam, State Minister of Education Kazi Keramat Ali and State Minister of Information Tarana Halim.
The two others are the Jatiya Party’s Mujibul Haque Chunnu and Mashiur Rahman Ranga, who were state minister for labour and employment, and state minister for local government, rural development and co-operatives, respectively.
