Six months into the government, the Cabinet reshuffle has failed to bring any fundamental change to the structure of power, with politicians and analysts saying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has followed the familiar patterns of previous administrations.
Despite promises of building a new Bangladesh, they said the selection of ministers, allocation of portfolios, concentration of authority and retention of controversial figures showed little sign of a new political culture.
The concerns resurfaced after four ministers and two state ministers were sworn in on Friday, further expanding the Cabinet. Analysts questioned whether such a large Cabinet and advisory council were justified amid a fragile post-uprising economy.
They said the expanded Cabinet and growing number of advisers contradicted the prime minister’s pre-election pledge to reduce government expenditure. They also argued that the absence of meaningful reforms had prevented a balance of power, allowing decision-making authority to remain concentrated in one person’s hands.
Questions have also emerged over whether merit or political considerations guided the allocation of ministries. Several ministers facing criticism over controversies and alleged irregularities have retained their positions, raising questions over whether the six-month review was based on performance or political loyalty and party calculations.
Dhaka University Political Science Professor Sabbir Ahmed told TIMES of Bangladesh that reshuffles were a normal part of government, but the suitability of appointees for their portfolios remained the key issue.
“Most of the time, weaknesses become visible when someone is appointed to satisfy party leaders. From that perspective, there was a lack of proper judgement in the ministerial appointment process,” he said.
Referring to Abdul Moyeen Khan’s appointment as local government minister, he said, “There are very few people in the BNP like Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, who is a scholar. But he is a scientist and researcher. How much is his work related to the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry?”
Tarique’s Cabinet began its journey on 17 February with 26 full ministers and 24 state ministers. The composition later changed after Hafiz Uddin Ahmed became speaker and Kayser Kamal became deputy speaker, while Ahmed Azam Khan was inducted as a minister.
Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Dipen Dewan resigned in June, while the Cabinet position held by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir fell vacant after he was sworn in as president.
With Friday’s induction of four ministers and two state ministers, the Cabinet now has 51 members, making it the third-largest since the restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1991.
The number of advisers and special assistants holding ministerial or state ministerial rank has also risen to 13 after Zahir Uddin Swapan was appointed an adviser with ministerial status.
Sheikh Hasina’s second-term Cabinet had the highest number of ministers and state ministers at 61, while Khaleda Zia’s 2001-2006 government had 60.
Political scientist Professor Dilara Chowdhury told TIMES that forming such a large Cabinet was difficult to justify amid the country’s fragile post-uprising situation.
“Before the election, the prime minister said he would reduce expenditure, but by forming such a large Cabinet and advisory council, he has moved away from that commitment,” she said.
“There has been no new approach in the past six months. The country is again walking the old path,” she said, adding that retaining controversial figures while promising a corruption-free country was contradictory.
Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Shujan (Citizens for Good Governance), said the government had started politicisation in various areas, including the appointment of party administrators.
“This is visible everywhere, starting from the Cabinet. This is not acceptable at all. I hope the government returns to the path of reform, otherwise it will have to face the consequences,” he said.
New faces, old equations
The newly inducted ministers are Moyeen Khan, Rashiduzzaman Millat, Sa Ching Prue Jerry and Andaleeve Rahman Partha. The new state ministers are Humayun Kabir and Shamim Kaiser Lincoln.
BNP sources said Moyeen Khan was given the Local Government Ministry after Mirza Fakhrul became president, partly to reassure senior party leaders who felt sidelined by the dominance of newcomers in the Cabinet.
Partha has been given charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, while Zahir Uddin Swapan was appointed adviser to the prime minister after resigning as information minister.
Swapan’s removal drew reactions on social media, with many journalists praising him as a soft-spoken and media-friendly minister.
Millat was promoted from state minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism to full minister, while Afroza Khanam Rita was moved to the Food Ministry.
Bandarban MP Sa Ching Prue Jerry was appointed Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister after dissatisfaction grew in the region following Dipen Dewan’s resignation.
Shamim Kaiser was given the state ministerial portfolio for Religious Affairs, while Humayun Kabir joined the Foreign Ministry as state minister.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is expected to remain occupied with his role as president of the United Nations General Assembly but will continue his work through electronic systems.
Controversial figures stay
The decision to retain Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud has drawn criticism.
Shahe Alam has faced controversy over allegations related to the naming of unions in Bogura’s Mokamtala after family members, securing higher development allocations and awarding work to his son’s contracting firm.
Mahmud has faced criticism over the government’s failure to resolve prolonged energy shortages.
Questions have also been raised over his performance, as he previously served as state minister for the same ministry during the BNP government’s 2001-2006 tenure amid allegations of irregularities.
Opposition attacks government
Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said the reforms that triggered the uprising had not taken place.
“As a result, state power remains concentrated in the hands of one person, the prime minister. Whether it is evaluation or favour, everything depends on the prime minister,” he said.
He added that genuine evaluation after six months would have resulted in several ministers and state ministers losing their positions.
National Citizen Party Joint Member Secretary Zainal Abedin Shishir told TIMES that the country remained unchanged despite the mass uprising.
“There are no criteria here. If someone is close to the prime minister, all wrongdoings are forgiven. And if the prime minister does not like someone, they have to leave,” he said.
