Staff Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has formed the new cabinet, entrusting 21 ministries to newcomers while retaining former leaders in 15 ministries for another phase.

Of those retained in the cabinet, three individuals have earned promotions to ministerial positions.

Following the oath-taking ceremony at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban, the Cabinet Division promptly issued a notification detailing the allocation of offices for the newly appointed ministers and state ministers.

Significant changes have been introduced by the prime minister in the new cabinet, particularly in key ministries such as finance, commerce, foreign affairs, planning, expatriate welfare, and foreign employment, as well as information and broadcasting.

Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali who served as foreign minister in the 2014-19 tenure has been given the role of finance minister.

Meanwhile, Hasan Mahmud, the long-standing minister of information and broadcasting, has been entrusted with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Sheikh Hasina.

Dipu Moni, a prominent figure in both government and party circles, has been assigned the social welfare ministry, a role considered less prominent.

Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nawfel ascended from deputy minister to full minister, and Faridul Haque, formerly the state minister for religion, has been promoted to a full ministerial position. Meanwhile, Farhad Hossain, current state minister of public administration, has been promoted to a full minister of the same ministry in the new government.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will also head the Cabinet Division, Ministry of Defence, Arms Forces Division, power, energy and mineral resources ministry, cultural affairs ministry, and the labour and employment ministry in the new government.

Per the Rules of Business, ministries without appointed ministers and state ministers fall under the direct purview of the prime minister.

On Thursday, the Cabinet Division issued a notification terminating the appointments of PM’s advisers Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui, Salman Fazlur Rahman, and Ambassador at Large Mohammad Ziauddin.

Mohammad Ziauddin was later appointed to the same position with the status of a full minister.

However, as of 9pm on the day, a new adviser to the prime minister had not been appointed.

Ministers

AKM Mozammel Huq, Liberation War Affairs Ministry, Obaidul Quader, Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Finance Ministry, Anisul Huq Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Industries Ministry, Asaduzzaman Khan Home Ministry, Md Tazul Islam, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Ministry, Muhammad Faruk Khan, Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, Hasan Mahmud Foreign Ministry, Dipu Moni, Social Welfare Ministry, Sadhan Chandra Majumder, Food Ministry, Abdus Salam, Planning Ministry, Md Faridul Haque Khan, Religious Affairs Ministry, RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, Housing and Public Works Ministry, Narayan Chandra Chand, Land Ministry, Jahangir Kabir, Nanak Textiles & Jute Ministry, Abdur Rahman, Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, Md Abdus Shahid, Agriculture Ministry, Yeafesh Osman, Science and Technology Ministry, Samanta Lal Sen, Health & Family Welfare Ministry, Md Zillul Hakim, Railways Ministry, Farhad Hossain, Public Administration Ministry, Nazmul Hassan Papon, Youth and Sports Ministry, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Education Ministry.

State Ministers

Nasrul Hamid, Power division, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Shipping Ministry, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry, Zaheed Farooque, Water Resources Ministry, Simeen Hussain (Rimi), Women and Children Affairs Ministry, Kujendra Lal Tripura, Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry, Muhibur Rahman, Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, Mohammad Ali Arafat, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, Rumana Ali, Primary and Mass Education Ministry, Ahasanul Islam Titu, Commerce Ministry.