Who Was Appointed to Which Organisation?
1.
Abdul Bari — Chairman, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC)
Abdul Bari, the BNP’s assistant secretary for religious affairs, studied public administration at the University of Dhaka. After being involved in Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal politics, he eventually secured a position on the BNP’s central committee.
BIWTC is the government-owned corporation responsible for inland and coastal passenger and cargo transport, as well as ferry services for vehicles. According to the Bangladesh Economic Survey 2024, the organisation has been running at a loss since the 2021–22 fiscal.
As more bridges are being built across Bangladesh’s rivers, the importance of BIWTC’s ferry operations is gradually declining. This has raised questions about whether institutional restructuring and implementation of the BNP’s election manifesto were considered when a party leader was appointed to head the organisation.
2.
Zakir Hossan— Chairman, Bangladesh Handloom Board
Zakir Hossan, a former vice-president of the Jubo Dal central committee, has been appointed chairman of the Bangladesh Handloom Board.
Established in 1977, the Handloom Board has never been a major government priority. The number of handlooms and weavers in the country has been declining. According to the board, it operates 49 training centres and 35 basic centres across the country. These centres have failed to play a significant role; their main function is to provide loans to weavers.
There is little indication that the government has appointed a party leader to the board as part of a major new plan for the handloom sector or its workers. People familiar with the organisation say bureaucrats were previously posted there as a form of rehabilitation. This time, a politician appears to have been rehabilitated instead.
3.
Kazi Rawnaqul Islam— Managing Director, Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCT)
Kazi Rawnakul Islam, the BNP’s assistant secretary for environment and forests, has been appointed managing director of the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund. He studied at Jagannath University and previously served as president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal.
The Climate Change Trust Fund was established in 2009, during the Awami League government, to address the impacts of climate change. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. From its establishment through the 2025–26 fiscal year, more than Tk 40 billion has been allocated to the fund from the revenue budget.
A study published by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on November 4 last year found that nearly Tk 21.11 billion had been wasted or misappropriated through irregularities and corruption in 891 projects approved under the climate fund between 2010 and 2024.
4.
Benazir Ahmed — Chairman, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC)
Benazir Ahmed, the BNP’s joint organising secretary for Dhaka division, has been appointed chairman of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC).
BSCIC was established in 1972, soon after independence, with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship and employment, reducing poverty and advancing industrialisation. But it has failed to fully achieve those objectives.
According to BSCIC sources, the corporation currently has 82 industrial estates across the country, with 12,360 industrial plots. Of these, 11,271 have been allocated, but only around 6,200 factories are operating on the allotted plots.
At least 10 BSCIC projects under the Annual Development Programme are currently underway, with a combined cost of around Tk 40 billion.
Benazir Ahmed told Prothom Alo that the government now wants to make BSCIC more effective and that this was the reason for his appointment.
