The 50-member cabinet of the BNP-led government, including the prime minister, has seen a notable influx of newcomers, leaving several senior leaders and former ministers on the sidelines.
Despite being elected as members of parliament, many prominent figures from the previous BNP cabinet, including standing committee members and advisers to the party chairperson, were excluded from the final list.
Notably, the new cabinet has no deputy ministers, and key constituencies such as Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, and Brahmanbaria have no representation.
Among those omitted are senior leaders Mirza Abbas, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Selima Rahman, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Amanullah Aman, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Habib un Nabi Khan Sohel, and former ministers Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Osman Faruk, Lutfozzaman Babar, and Abdus Salam Pintu. The list also excludes former whip Zainul Abedin Farroque, Supreme Court Bar Association President AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, and Bangladesh Jatiya Party Chairman Andaleev Rahman Partha.
The exclusions have prompted debate within party ranks, with supporters noting the absence of heavyweights from cabinet positions. Several of those left out, including Nazrul Islam Khan, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, and Habib un Nabi Khan Sohel, did not contest the recent parliamentary election.
Later on Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman appointed ten advisers—five with ministerial rank and five with that of state ministers—to the cabinet. Among them are senior leaders Nazrul Islam Khan, Mirza Abbas, and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, now holding advisory positions with ministerial rank.
A member of the BNP standing committee explained that while some senior leaders were not initially included in cabinet positions, they are expected to take on key organisational and policy-making responsibilities within the party.
The move reflects Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s stated approach of combining merit with new faces to promote transparency and efficiency in governance, he said.
