7 new state ministers join cabinet, take their oath

Seven new faces on Friday took oath as members of the incumbent cabinet led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath of office and oath of secrecy to the new state ministers at Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban at 7.30pm, reports UNB

They also signed the oath of office and oath of secrecy after the swearing-in ceremony.

They newly inducted cabinet members are: Rajshahi-5 Constituency MP Md. Abdul Wadud, Naogaon-2 Constituency MP Md. Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Chittagong-14 Constituency MP Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, Lawmaker from reserved women seat MP and Awami League Education and Human Resource Affairs Secretary Begum Shamsunnahar, MP, from reserved seat and AL Finance and Planning Affairs Secretary Begum Wasika Ayesha Khan, Begum Nahid Izhar Khan, MP of reserved women's seat and daughter of Martyr Colonel Nazmul Huda, and MP of reserved women's seat and Health Secretary of AL Begum Rokeya Sultana.

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina formed her fourth consecutive government on January 11 last with 37 ministers while there are 26 ministers and 11 state ministers.

With the new ones, the total number of the council of cabinet stood at 44. Now her council of ministers includes 26 ministers and 18 state ministers.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina witnessed the oath-taking ceremony while Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice, ,advisers, Chief Election Commissioner, other ministers, Judges of the Supreme Court, MPs, political leaders, chiefs of the three services, members of diplomatic corps, journalists, and high civil and military officials were also present.

President's spouse Dr Rebeka Sultana, PM's youngest sister Sheikh Rehana and other family members were present at the function.

Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain conducted the oath-taking function, while several hundred guests were invited to witness the historic ceremony.

Sheikh Hasina has distributed portfolios among the seven new state ministers, who have taken oath of office nearly a month and a half after she appointed her latest cabinet.

The Cabinet Division issued a notice on their new offices immediately after they were sworn in by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at a Bangabhaban ceremony in presence of Hasina.

Waseqa, the finance and planning secretary of the Awami League who is serving her third straight term as a reserved seat MP, has been made the state minister for finance.

She is the daughter of late Ataur Rahman Khan Kaiser, a leading organiser of the Liberation War and a prominent leader of the Awami League.

Fresh off winning the Naogaon-2 election, Shahiduzzaman has been pressed into the cabinet as the state minister for planning.

Wadud from Rajshahi-5, who had previously served as a member of the parliamentary standing committee on the food ministry, will work as the state minister for local government and rural development.

Rokeya, another reserved seat MP serving as the ruling party's health and population affairs secretary, has become the state minister for health and family planning.

Chapa, the education and human resources secretary of the Awami League, wil serve as the state minister for education.

Nahid Izhar, daughter of Liberation War hero Col Khandkar Nazmul Huda, Bir Bikram, has got the cultural affairs ministry.

In his cabinet debut, Chattogram-14 MP and freedom fighter Nazrul has landed the charge of labour and employment ministry as the state minister.

The cultural affairs ministry and the labour and employment ministry have so far been under Hasina.

She still holds the responsibilities of the Cabinet Division, defence ministry, the Armed Forces Division and the power, energy and mineral resources ministry.

With the new ones, the cabinet now consists of 25 full ministers and 18 state ministers, while there are no positions for deputy ministers.