Who's who in the government

Bangladesh's system of government

Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy, though new and democratic practices are taking its root here while democratic institutions are still taking shape for proper functioning like other Western form of democracies functional in other countries. In the three organs of the unitary state, the President is ceremonially the Head of the State. The Prime Minister is the Head of the Government, i.e. the executive branch. The Speaker is the guardian of the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) and the head of the Judiciary is the Chief Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

President: Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed

Chief Adviser: Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed

Speaker: Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar

Chief Justice: Justice Ruhul Amin

 

The caretaker government

The president, Iajuddin Ahmed, reconstituted the non-party caretaker government on Friday, January 12 by appointing Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former central bank governor, as the new chief of the interim administration.

President Iajuddin, who resigned on Thursday January 11, 20067 from the post of the chief adviser and promulgated a state of emergency throughout the country, administered the oath of office to Fakhruddin Ahmed at a ceremony at Bangabhaban, the presidential residence.

Fakhruddin Ahmed, a renowned economist and former governor of the central bank, was serving as managing director of the Bangladesh Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation, a public sector micro credit institution, before being made the chief adviser to the caretaker government.

Khaleda Zia and the leaders of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance abstained from attending Ahmed’s swearing-in ceremony.

Sheikh Hasina and the leaders of her Awami League-led alliance, attended the function.

The situation was just the opposite on October 29 last year, when Iajuddin took over as the chief adviser. Khaleda attended the swearing-in ceremony and Hasina boycotted it.

Former advisers, foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka, senior civil and military bureaucrats, and a section of eminent citizens were present at the ceremony.

The cabinet secretary, Ali Imam Majumder, conducted the oath taking ceremony at 7:00pm.

However, the president is likely to appoint ten other advisers in a day or two, most likely in consultation with the new chief of the interim government, the tenure of which was not spelled out immediately, officials said.

But the president in his address to the nation, through which he declared a state of emergency on Thursday night suspending fundamental rights, mentioned that a number of tasks needed to be completed for holding a free, fair and credible election and that it would take time.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, formally announced postponement of the January 22 general elections. They will now go for massive reconstitution of the quasi judicial body and electoral laws as well and before holding the election, the EC sources said.

With the swearing in of the chief adviser, the authorities apparently relaxed emergency provisions, including restrictions on the print and electronic media.

Private television channels were reportedly asked by the Press Information Department on Thursday not to air news programmes, and they followed the instruction accordingly.The channels resumed news programmes on Friday, January 12.

The authorities also lifted the night-time curfew imposed for six hours everyday in Dhaka and other district towns for an indefinite period.

The police were seen announcing the lifting of curfew by loud hailers at different places in the city. The withdrawal of curfew eased tensions in the capital and other parts of the country.

The police and the elite Rapid Action Battalion launched a hunt for listed criminals, some businessmen and a section of politicians having criminal links.

In an announcement, the Awami League general secretary, Abdul Jalil, said that the AL-led alliance had called off all street protests. The alliance had earlier announced a series of agitation programmes, including transport blockades and general strikes to resist holding of the January 22 elections.

Jalil refused to comment on the ‘promulgation of emergency’, but found the president quitting the office of the chief adviser a ‘people’s victory’.

The BNP in a statement said that it believed the emergency was a temporary measure. The statement said the party hoped the interim government would do everything possible to hand over power to an elected government in the shortest possible time.

The left leaning political parties opposed emergency while major political parties refrained from making direct comments.


Portfolios of advisers in brief

CA Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed: Cabinet Division, establishment ministry, information ministry and the Election Commission secretariat.

Dr. AB Mirza Azizul Islam: Finance and Planning Ministry.

Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin: Home and Shipping, Land and Liberation War Affairs Ministries.

Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury: Foreign Affairs, and Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministries.

Anwarul Iqbal: LGRD and Cooperatives, Textiles and Jute, and Labour and Employment Ministries.

AMM Shawkat Ali: Health and Family Welfare, Food and Disaster Management Ministries.

Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader: Communications, and Housing and Public Works Ministries.

Rasheda K Chowdhury: Primary and Mass Education, and Women and Children Affairs Ministries.

Hossain Zillur Rahman: Education and Commerce Ministries.

Dr Chowdhury Sajjadul Karim: Agriculture and Water Resources Ministries.

AF Hassan Ariff: Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Religious Affairs Ministries.

CA's 5 Special Assistants

Barrister Raja Debashis Roy: Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs and Environment and Forest Ministries.

Brig Gen (retd) MA Malek: Posts and Telecommunications and Social Welfare Ministries.

Prof M Tamim: Energy and Mineral Resources Division and Power Division.

Mahbub Jamil: Portfolio not allocated yet.

Manik Lal Samaddar: Portfolio not allocated yet.

Life-sketch of Fakhruddin

The newly appointed chief adviser to the caretaker government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, son of Mohiuddin Ahmed of Bikrampur in Munshiganj, was born on May 1, 1940.

He obtained BA (Hons) degree in Economics from Dhaka University in 1960 and MA in 1961. He stood first-class first in both the exams.

He also did Master’s Degree in Development Economics from Williams College, USA, and Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from Princeton University.

Fakhruddin started his career as lecturer in economics department of Dhaka University. Later, he joined the Civil Service of Pakistan and served government in various capacities until 1978.

He held senior positions in the World Bank from 1978 to 2001 before joining Bangladesh Bank as its governor on November 29, 2001 where he had served for three years to May 1, 2005.

The former governor of Bangladesh Bank, Fakhruddin joined Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation as managing director on June 1, 2005.

List of high-ups of the immediate past elected government


President: Professor Iajuddin Ahmed

Prime Minister: Begum Khaleda Zia

Speaker: Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar

Chief Justice: Justice JR Mudassir Husain

The Cabinet of the Four-Party Coalition Government

A 60-member Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was formed on Friday, October 10, 2001, following the four-party alliance’s October 1 election victory. Of them, 27 were cabinet ministers (except PM), 28 state ministers and the rest four deputy ministers.

The then Foreign Minister Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury was later elected President of the Republic and M Morshed Khan has been inducted as a full-fledged Minister with the vacant portfolio. But Badruddoza Chowdhury later resigned as president following differences with the ruling party.

In the first cabinet reshuffle on May 22, 2003 three full ministers and four state ministers were dropped for poor performance while portfolios of 11 ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers were changed for better functioning of the cabinet members.

Following domestic and donors’ pressure to trim the size of the government, another Cabinet reshuffle took place on March 25, 2004 and the Commerce Minister was dropped for alleged failure to keep prices of essentials under control and Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury was shifted to take up Commerce job while State Minister for Foreign Affairs Reaz Rahman was made advisor to the same ministry he was serving.

As the donors meet to evaluate Bangladesh’s progress in poverty cut, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia made another cabinet reshuffle by redistributing portfolios of 8 ministers and state ministers on May 6, 2004. But there was no significant changes in the size or shape of the cabinet, rather four ministries were merged into two. Jute and textiles ministries and food and disaster management were merged. Textile Minister Abdul Matin Chowdhury was made minister without portfolio keeping the numbers of ministers the same at 51 defying donors’ pressure to downsize the cabinet.

In a rare move responding to open public resentment over Hajj fare, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin was axed on November 17, 2005. So the cabinet size almost remains the same despite donors' pressure and demand to down size it.

And in yet another reshuffle on April 24, 2006, Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury was relegated to minister without portfolio and the charge was given to Water Resources Minister Major (rtd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed for failing to check price spirals of essentials. As the general election is approaching, the government has moved to soothe people’s anger over price spirals and made Altaf Hossian Chowdhury scapegoat for failing to mend the situation.

In another minor cabinet reshuffle on May 16, 2006, State Minister Alamgir Kabir has been removed from Housing and Public Works Ministry and shifted to Women and Children Affairs Ministry with the same status.

After months of criticism for failure and rumour of resignation running for a week, the government has at last removed State Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood from the Power Division Sunday.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia removed Minister for Power Iqbal Hasan Mahmud on May 21, 2006 in a minor cabinet reshuffle and reassigned him as junior minister for agriculture.

Mahmood has been replaced by State Minister for Planning Major General (retd) M Anwarul Kabir Talukder.

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Alamgir Kabir has been given charge of the Ministry on June 20,2006 following the death of Khurshid Jahan Haque.

“The Prime Minister gave Alamgir Kabir charge of the Women and Children Affairs Ministry as per Rule 3 of the Rules of Business 1996,” said a Cabinet Division notification Tuesday.

Women and Children Affairs Minister Begum Khurshid Jahan Haque died on June 14.

Shipping Minister Lt Col (Retd) Akbar Hossain died on June 25, 2006 suddenly following cardiac arrest.

In a minor cabinet reshuffle on July 9, 2006, State Minister for NGO Affairs Lutfar Rahman Khan Azad has been transferred to the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment with the same status.

On the other hand, the State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, Major (retd) Qamrul Islam, was sent to Shipping Ministry with the same position.

At the fag end of the four-party tenure, State Minister for Power Anwarul Kabir Talukder was “relived of his responsibilities” on Sept 30, 2006 amid severe power crisis and violent agitation for power at power offices across the country, particularly in the capital.

General Kabir was given the stewardship of power ministry only three months ago after his predecessor, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, was removed following demonstrations at different places, including Kansat in Chapainawabganj and Demra in the city.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Oct 3, 2006 gave the charge of Power Division to State Minister for Land Ukil Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan, four days after the removal of his predecessor from this hot seat.

So, the cabinet remains almost same heavy and jumbo-jet in size, though performance wise it is not that efficient to run the business in a praiseworthy manner. But at the fag end of the tenure of the present government (October, 2006), Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is rather reluctant to go for major changes in her cabinet size and shape fearing backlash.

The Portfolios of Ministers

Begum Khaleda Zia: Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Division, Ministries of Establishment, Defence, Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Armed Forces Division, Primary and Mass Education.

M Saifur Rahman: Finance and Planning

Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan: LGRD and Cooperatives

M Morshed Khan: Foreign Affairs

Shahjahan Siraj: Textiles and Jute

Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain: Health and Family Welfare

Barrister Moudud Ahmed: Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

Motiur Rahman Nizami: Industries

Barrister Nazmul Huda: Communications

Choudhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf: Food and Disaster Management and Relief

MK Anwar: Agriculture

M Shamsul Islam: Information

Tariqul Islam: Environment and Forest

Abdullah Al Noman: Fisheries and Livestock

Hafizuddin Ahmed: Water Resources and Commerce

Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan: Science and Technology

Mirza Abbas: Housing and Public Works

Altaf Hossain Chowdhury: Minister without portfolio

Barrister Aminul Huq: Post and Telecommunications

Dr Osman Faruk: Education

Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid: Social Welfare

Abdul Matin Chowdhury: Minister without portfolio The Portfolios of State Ministers

Lutfur Rahman Khan Azad: Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, M Fazlur Rahman Patal: Youth and Sports, Mosharef Hossain Shahjahan: Religious Affairs, Maj (Retd) M Quamrul Islam: Shipping Ministry, Barrister Shahjahan Omar BU: Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir: Civil Aviation and Tourism, Selima Rahman: Cultural Affairs, Ziaul Huq Zia: LGRD and Cooperatives, Mahmudur Rahman: Advisor Energy and Mineral Resources, Lutfuzzaman Babar: Home Affairs, Salahuddn Ahmed: Communications, Ukil Abdus Sattar: Land Ministry and the Power Division, Shah M Abul Hossain: Finance and Planning, Amanullah Aman: Labor and Manpower, ANM Ehsanul Huq Milon: Education, Mizanur Rahman Sinha: Health and Family Welfare, Adv Gautam Chakraborty: Water Resources, Zafrul Islam Chowdhury: Environment and Forest, Prof. Rezaul Karim: Liberation War Affairs, Iqbal H Mahmud: Agriculture Ministry, and Alamgir Kabir: Women and Children Affairs.

The Portfolios of Deputy Ministers

Moni Swapan Dewan: CHT Affairs, Asadul Habib Dulu: Disaster Management and Relief, Adv Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu: Land, and Abdul Salam Pintu: Industries.

Advisors Mahmudur Rahman: Advisor Energy and Mineral Resources Salahuddin Qader Chowdhury: Advisor Parliamentary Affairs to PM Haris Chowdhury: Political advisor to PM Reaz Rahman: Advisor Foreign Affairs Barkat Ullah Bulu: Advisor Women and Children Affairs Other Links

34 new faces in the Cabinet of Bangladesh Government

As many as thirty-four fresh faces have been inducted into the 60-member Council of Ministers, the largest of its kind since parliamentary democracy was restored in the country in 1990.

Apart from Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the council includes 27 cabinet ministers, 28 state ministers and four deputy ministers.

The newcomers include eight cabinet ministers, 23 state ministers and four deputy ministers. Most of the cabinet ministers have been chosen from among the ministers in the past two BNP governments. The first-time cabinet ministers are Khurshid Jahan Haq, elder sister of the prime minister, LK Siddiqi, Amir Khosru Mahmud Choudhury, Air Vice Marshal (retd.) Altaf Hossain, Harunur Rashid Khan Monno and Dr. Osman Faruk.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and its Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid are the two other new ministers. This is for the first time in the country's history that the Jamaat, notorious for its role during the country's War of Independence, has shared state power.

Some senior BNP leaders who had been in Khaleda's governments of 1991 and again in 1996 could not make it to the Council of Ministers this time. They include Col. (retd.) Oli Ahmed, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar,Shamsul Islam Khan, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, MA Hannan, Major (retd.) Abdul Mannan, Prof. Abdul Mannan, Kabir Hossain and Harun-or-Rashid.

The government Khaleda had formed in 1996 on winning the controversial February 15 election had a very short life.

Five state ministers have seen their status elevated to cabinet ministers. They are Dr. Abdul Moin Khan, Sadek Hossain Khoka, Shahjahan Siraj and Major (retd.) Hafizuddin Ahmed.

Six of the 60-strong Council of Ministers have been chosen from technocrat quota, those who are not members of parliament. The constitution permits a maximum of one-tenth of the ministers from such quota. Jamaat leader Mujahid is the lone cabinet minister from technocrat quota. Former mayor of Chittagong city Mir Mohammad Narisuddin, BNP leaders Selima Rahman, Ukil Abdus Sattar and Abdus Salam Pintu, and former bureaucrat and advisor to the BNP chief Reaz Rahman are the state ministers who are not MPs.

Status of Lutfur Rahman Khan Azad, Fazlur Rahman Patal, Mosharraf Hossain Shahjahan and Redwan Ahmed has remained unchanged, though. State ministers in the previous BNP governments, they have again been made state ministers.

Fourteen senior-most BNP leaders have again been made cabinet ministers. They are Prof. AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury (later made President and after differences with the ruling party B Chowdrury finally resigned and formed his own party Bikalpa Dhara), M. Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Abdul Matin Choudhury, Dr. Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Nazmul Huda, M. Shamsul Islam, Choudhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, MK Anwar, Tariqul Islam, Col. (retd.) Akbar Hossain, Abdullah Al Noman and Mirza Abbas.

Compiled by Bangladeshinfo.com Desk