Portfolios have been allocated to four new ministers and two state ministers, who were sworn in on Friday evening.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman distributed the portfolios under Rule 3(iv) of the Rules of Business, 1996, according to a gazette notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Friday night.
At the same time, the government has decided to change the portfolio of one minister and appoint another minister as an adviser to the prime minister.
The four new ministers are – BNP Standing Committee member and Narsingdi-2 MP Abdul Moyeen Khan, Bangladesh Jatiya Party Chairman and Bhola-1 MP Andaleeve Rahman Partho, former state minister for civil aviation and tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat, and Bandarban MP Sa Ching Prue Jerry.
Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir and Gaibandha-4 MP Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln are the two new state ministers.
Earlier, newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir administered the oaths of office to the six appointees at Bangabhaban on Friday evening.
According to the gazette notification, Abdul Moyeen Khan has been given charge of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, which was left vacant after Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir became president.
Rashiduzzaman Millat was elevated to the rank of minister in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.
Meanwhile, the portfolio of Afrozа Khanam Rita, who had been serving as the minister for civil aviation and tourism, has been changed, and she has been given charge of the Ministry of Food.
Sa Ching Prue Jerry has been appointed minister for the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs. Dipen Dewan had previously served as the minister of the ministry. After his resignation, Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin had been serving as the state minister of the ministry.
Andaleeve Rahman Partho has been appointed minister for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Zahir Uddin Swapon who had been serving as the minister of the ministry, has been appointed an adviser to the prime minister with the rank of a minister.
Newly appointed State Minister Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln has been given charge of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad) is serving as the minister of the ministry.
Humaiun Kobir, who joined the cabinet as a technocrat, has been appointed state minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Shama Obaed Islam is already serving as the state minister of the ministry. As a result, the ministry will now have two state ministers. Khalilur Rahman is serving as the minister of the ministry.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expanded his cabinet for the first time since taking office, inducting four ministers and two state ministers after completing 180 days in power.
The expansion follows the prime minister’s earlier indication that he would assess the performance of his cabinet colleagues after six months to bring greater dynamism and pace to his government’s plan to rebuild Bangladesh.
