Council of Advisers gets three new faces

The Council of Advisers of the interim government has been expanded with three new members, reports UNB.

They took the oath of office on Sunday evening.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban in the presence of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and senior government officials and dignitaries.

The swearing-in-ceremony began with a one-minute silence in honour of the martyrs.

The new advisers are Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Mahfuj Alam, Sk Bashir Uddin, managing director of AkijBashir Group, and popular filmmaker and director Mostafa Sarwar Farooki.

Mahfuj Alam, a coordinator of the liaison committee of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, was holding the position of CA's Special Assistant since August 29. Sk Bashir Uddin is the son of Sk Akij Uddin.

Later their portfolios were distributed in a reshuffle.

Chief Adviser to the interim government Prof Muhammad Yunus redistributed portfolios of seven advisers.

Among the new appointees, Sk Bashir Uddin got the portfolio of the commerce ministry as well as the ministry of jute and textile. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has been made the adviser of the cultural affairs ministry.

However, another newly appointed adviser Mahfuj Alam did not get any ministry.

After portfolio redistribution, Yunus will now oversee four ministries and divisions instead of six. He will be in charge of the Cabinet Division, the Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces Division and the Ministry of Public Administration.

Yunus left the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to Ali Imam Majmudar, who was attached to the chief adviser's office. The chief adviser also left the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to Hassan Ariff, who will also continue to oversee the land ministry.

Asif Mahmud was made LGRD adviser in place of Hasan Ariff. He is also the youth adviser.

Current shipping adviser Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat Hussain got the additional responsibility of managing the labour and employment ministry. Asif Mahmud was the adviser of the ministry.

Salehuddin will now oversee only the finance ministry as the commerce ministry's responsibility went to Bashir. Bashir will also take the charge of jute and textile ministry from Sakhawat.

Asif Nazrul who was in charge of three ministries now will oversee law and expatriate welfare ministries as Farooki will oversee the cultural affairs ministry.