Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has carried out the first reshuffle of his council of ministers, considering their performance, coordination problems, and the need to accelerate government work, according to multiple government sources.
The reshuffle also appears intended to send a message that ministers will continue to be evaluated. Sources said another five to six new faces could be inducted in the final week of this month.
The most significant changes came at the information and broadcasting and civil aviation and tourism ministries.
According to PMO sources, both changes were driven largely by persistent coordination problems and dissatisfaction with the functioning of their ministries, prompting the prime minister to reassign responsibilities in an effort to improve administrative efficiency.
At the information ministry, Bangladesh Jatiya Party Chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partho replaced Zahir Uddin Swapon as minister.
Afroza Khanam Rita was transferred from civil aviation and tourism to the food ministry, while Rashiduzzaman Millat, who had served under her as state minister for the past six months, was promoted to full minister and given charge of the ministry.
Swapon resigned as information minister and was later appointed the prime minister’s political adviser with the rank and privileges of a minister.
PMO sources said dissatisfaction had been building for several months over the ministry’s performance, implementation of directives, crisis communication, and internal coordination.
Differences over several appointments widened the gap between the ministry and the PMO, while some of the prime minister’s instructions were not properly implemented, the sources said.
They also cited weak coordination between Swapon and State Minister Yasser Khan Choudhury in carrying out decisions and dividing responsibilities.
The prime minister had regularly monitored ministries, with the information ministry’s role during crises receiving particular attention, they said.
The government had expected quicker and more consistent communication during the measles outbreak, the US-Iran war and the subsequent fuel crisis. Its response to false and misleading information was also considered in the assessment.
Two PMO sources said Partho had expressed interest in leading the ministry soon after the government was formed and later conveyed that interest to key policymakers.
Mohammad Mojibur Rahman, a professor at Dhaka University’s Institute of Education and Research, said Swapon’s reassignment could be interpreted in two ways: the prime minister may want him closer as a political adviser, while concerns over the ministry’s performance also played a role.
He said the ministry had fallen short in providing timely information, reassuring the public during crises and correcting misinformation quickly.
At the civil aviation and tourism ministry, PMO sources said, differences had emerged between Rita and Millat over working methods and the handling of ministry affairs.
Repeated complaints over poor coordination eventually reached the PMO, prompting the prime minister to redistribute responsibilities to keep the ministry functioning smoothly.
On Friday, Tarique inducted five new members and elevated one state minister to full ministerial rank in a move aimed at strengthening his administration.
The council of ministers now has 51 members, including the prime minister -- 28 ministers and 23 state ministers. Tarique also has 10 advisers, five with ministerial rank and five with the rank of state minister.
BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan was assigned the local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry following Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s election as president.
Technocrat Humaiun Kobir, previously the prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser, was appointed state minister for foreign affairs. He joins Shama Obaed Islam, giving the ministry two state ministers.
Party leaders and PMO sources said the move was intended to divide responsibilities involving international engagements, bilateral relations and day-to-day affairs. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is due to begin his one-year term as president of the 81st UN General Assembly on September 8.
Gaibandha-4 MP Shamim Kaiser Lincoln was made state minister for religious affairs to speed up the ministry’s work and assist the minister with administrative and political responsibilities, a government source said.
Saching Prue Jerry was appointed minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs, filling the vacancy created by Dipen Dewan’s resignation in June.
‘MESSAGE TO CABINET’
The prime minister’s political assistant, Rashed Khan, said Tarique had indicated from the outset that the government’s work would be reviewed after 180 days.
“The prime minister thought that if someone was brought into a sector, the work would be better and faster, and the decision was made based on that.
“No one has been undervalued here. Whoever is skilled in a certain job has been brought there,” he said.
Mojibur said the relatively limited reshuffle suggested the prime minister wanted to give most ministers more time while signalling that broader changes could follow if performance remained weak.
Al Masud Hasanuzzaman, a former professor of government and politics at Jahangirnagar University, said the reshuffle was aimed at improving administrative speed and giving new people a chance.
“If ministers view it as a performance assessment, it will increase pressure on both those who retained their posts and those entrusted with new responsibilities,” he said.
