Changes in cabinet

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday expanded her council of ministers by adding a minister and five state ministers, and reshuffling 10 council portfolios.

Neither of the six new faces has ever been in any council of ministers before, nor any of them is a member of ruling Awami League's (AL) new central working committee.

With the new inductions, the number of ministers in the almost seven-month old council rose to 43, comprising the premier, 24 ministers, and 18 state ministers.

Ruling AL lawmaker Shajahan Khan, who had been working as the chief of a parliamentary committee before his new assignment, was sworn in as a minister, while AL lawmakers Promod Mankin, Mujibur Rahman Fakir, Mahbubur Rahman, Enamul Haque and Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury were inducted as state ministers.

Advised by the prime minister, President Zillur Rahman made the new appointments and administered the oath of office in a simple ceremony in Bangabhaban.

Political analysts observed that the latest inclusion in the council of ministers suggests that Hasina, also the AL chief, stuck to her plan of building two separate set ups -- one for running the government and another for her party.

With the appointment of Shirin Sharmin as the state minister for women and children affairs, the number of women in the ministers' council rose to six. The premier herself had been looking after the ministry until yesterday's appointment, as any ministry without a minister or a state minister automatically becomes the responsibility of the premier.

Immediately after the induction ceremony, the prime minister said the expansion was made to ease the council of ministers' tremendous workload, and to implement her government's first national budget which will finance the implementation of her party's 'charter for change'.

Hasina earlier also appointed seven advisers with status of cabinet ministers to assist her in running the government.

Talking to reporters in Bangabhaban yesterday, she said all new members of the council of ministers are quite competent. "Let's see how they perform," she added.

The premier on May 4 warned her ministers and state ministers of being dropped from the council unless they show satisfactory performance within the next couple of months.

None however was dropped in yesterday's reshuffle, unlike the veteran AL leaders dropped from AL's central working committee announced on Thursday.

Yesterday's expansion of the ministers' council proved wrong the rumour that two or three veteran AL leaders, who were dropped from the party's central committee, would be made ministers.

Ruling party insiders however said two ex- presidium members -- Abdur Razzaq and Tofail Ahmed, newly made presidium member Obaidul Quader, and also a Jatiya Party leader might still be inducted into the cabinet in the future.

With yesterday's expansion of the ministers' council, the country now has the second highest number of ministers and advisers to assist the premier, since the last BNP-Jamaat-led four-party alliance government.

On winning a two-third majority in the 2001 parliamentary election, the BNP-Jamaat alliance formed its government with a 60-member council of ministers, the largest in the country's history, and also drew a lot of flak for that.

Former premier Khaleda Zia, also the BNP chief, formed her first government in 1991 with a 33-member council of ministers, after her party won a simple majority in a parliamentary election.

In the December 29, 2008 national election, AL-led grand alliance won a whopping 262 seats in the parliament. Hasina's party alone-bagged 230, a number which is much higher than that of BNP's in the 2001election.

Hasina however formed a medium-sized council on January 6 this year with 23 ministers and eight state ministers. She added six more state ministers on January 24.

In 1996, Hasina had only 19 ministers to assist her in running the erstwhile government at the beginning, which she formed after winning a simple majority in the parliament. Few members were later added to that council of ministers as well.

PORTFOLIOS

Immediately after inducting the new minister and state ministers, the premier distributed portfolios among them reshuffling the council.

Newly inducted Shajahan Khan was made the shipping minister while his predecessor Afsarul Amin was transferred to the primary and mass education ministry where Motahar Hossain is the state minister.

State Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku was made the deputy of Home Minister Sahara Khatun. The post had been vacant since former state minister for home Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj's resignation on May 3.

Newly inducted Enamul Haque was put in Tuku's former position as the state minister for power, energy, and mineral resources.

Hasan Mahmud, who had been performing as the state minister for foreign affairs since January 6, was made the state minister for forest and environment, leaving Dipu Moni alone to take care of the foreign ministry. Sources in the cabinet said Hasan was 'not feeling comfortable' with Dipu.

Hasan's predecessor in the forest and environment ministry, state minister Mustafizur Rahman Fizar, was made the deputy of Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira.

Promod Mankin, who had been the chief of the parliamentary standing committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, was made the state minister for cultural affairs.

Mujibur Rahman Fakir was made the state minister for health and family welfare under Minister AFM Ruhul Haque, and Mahbubur Rahman was made the state minister for water resources under Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen.

CLEANER IMAGES OF STATE MINISTERS

The five new state ministers maintain clean image, keeping themselves free from being accused in criminal charges, according to the affidavits they submitted along with their applications to the Election Commission for seeking candidacy in the last parliamentary election.

However, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan has so far faced five criminal charges in his long political career.

The new state ministers Mujibur Rahman Fakir, Mahbubur Rahman, Promod Mankin, Enamul Haque and Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury declared in their affidavits that they never faced criminal charges in their lives.

Mujibur, a physician, was elected MP on Awami League's (AL) nomination from Mymensingh-3 parliamentary constituency. He was also elected lawmaker from that constituency in 2001 election.

Promod Mankin was given the charge of the cultural affairs ministry. He was elected MP on AL's ticket from Mymensingh-1 constituency in the December 29 polls. He also became MP from the same constituency in 2001.

Mahbubur, a part time businessman, was elected on AL's nomination from Patuakhali-4 constituency in the last parliamentary election. He was also elected lawmaker from the same constituency in 2001 election.

Retired army officer Enamul, also an electrical engineer, was elected lawmaker on AL's nomination from Chapainawabganj-1 for the first time.

Shirin Sharmin, a lawyer by profession, was elected MP to women reserved seat in parliament on AL's nomination.

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan was convicted in two separate criminal cases in the mid 1970s. He was dropped from charge sheet in two cases while one is pending against him, according to the affidavit.

Shajahan was first elected lawmaker as an independent candidate from Madaripur-2 in 1986. He later was elected lawmaker on AL's nomination in 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2008.

As a labour leader, he held various important posts at different national labour organisations.