Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed is willing to give up his portfolio if he is made BNP secretary general, as speculation grows over a possible cabinet and party reshuffle following Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s nomination for president.
BNP sources said the issue was discussed at a BNP standing committee meeting where Fakhrul was formally nominated for the presidency. The meeting also considered moving Salahuddin from the Home Ministry to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.
Although Salahuddin did not comment on the proposal at the meeting, he later told several senior party leaders that he would have no objection to changing ministries if he was considered for the secretary general post.
Sources said he is also interested in the Local Government Ministry or the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry. If neither option is available and there is no assurance over the party post, he prefers to remain home minister.
TIMES of Bangladesh could not reach Salahuddin for comment as he did not answer phone calls. However, he declined to comment when approached by journalists on Monday.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, “We hear many things. But everything is vested with the prime minister. He can say better. We have not been informed about this.”
A BNP Standing Committee member, seeking anonymity, said Salahuddin appeared to have considerable influence in the government.
“It seems he will get whichever ministry he wants. However, I do not know whether he will be given the party secretary general post,” the leader said.
Fakhrul’s move to Bangabhaban is considered certain ahead of Thursday’s presidential election due to constitutional provisions. The BNP holds an absolute majority in parliament, and no party lawmaker is expected to vote for Oli Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance, as doing so would cost them their parliamentary seats.
After being nominated for the presidency, Fakhrul resigned as BNP secretary general and a Standing Committee member. However, he remains a minister, with his cabinet position expected to fall vacant after the presidential election.
State Minister Mir Shahe Alam is currently serving as Fakhrul’s deputy at the ministry.
Any cabinet reshuffle rests with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who has already sought evaluations of ministers’ six-month performance from party leaders. This has fuelled speculation of changes in the government.
Under the BNP constitution, if the secretary general is unable to perform duties, the senior joint secretary general takes charge. As a result, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi will remain acting secretary general until the next national council.
Party leaders said Salahuddin had told colleagues that he had no objection to Rizvi continuing as acting secretary general until the council. However, he would be willing to leave the Home Ministry if he was elected secretary general at the council.
BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told TIMES, “Rizvi will remain the acting secretary general until the council. The council will decide who takes over afterwards. There is no need for discussions on this beforehand.”
Salahuddin was not initially a leading contender for the Home Ministry before the government took oath on 17 February. He had also shown little interest in the portfolio. In the previous BNP government, he served as state minister for communications.
The communications ministry was later split into the Railways Ministry and the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry. Currently, both portfolios are held by Shaikh Rabiul Alam.
Salahuddin remains interested in these two ministries. However, without a guarantee of the BNP secretary general post or a preferred ministry, he wants to continue as home minister.
