Bangladesh cabinet expanded as four ministers, two state ministers take oath

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expanded his Cabinet on Friday, inducting four ministers and two state ministers as his government moved to reorganise its ministerial team six months after assuming office. The new members took their oaths at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban, with newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir administering the oath of office and secrecy shortly after he was himself sworn in as the country’s 23rd President.

BNP Standing Committee member and Narsingdi-2 MP Abdul Moyeen Khan, Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman and Bhola-1 MP Andaleeve Rahman Partho and Bandarban MP Saching Prue Jerry were inducted as ministers. Rashiduzzaman Millat, who had been serving as State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, was elevated to the rank of full minister. Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir and Gaibandha-4 lawmaker Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln took oath as state ministers.

Cabinet gets new faces

The expansion comes around six months after Rahman formed his government following the February 12 parliamentary election. He took oath as Prime Minister on February 17 after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party returned to power. Friday’s exercise brought five new members into the Council of Ministers while promoting Millat from state minister to full minister.

Among the prominent additions is Moyeen Khan, a senior member of the BNP leadership. Partho brings another political party into the expanded ministerial team, while Jerry represents the Bandarban constituency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Kobir’s move from the Prime Minister’s advisory team to the government as a state minister also gives him a formal ministerial role.

The latest changes are the first major expansion of Rahman’s ministerial team since his government took office. The induction of new members comes as the administration moves beyond its initial months and begins reshaping responsibilities across the government.

New President administers oath

The Cabinet expansion coincided with a significant change at the top of the Bangladeshi state. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir took oath as President shortly before administering the oath to the newly appointed ministers and state ministers. His presidential oath was administered by Deputy Speaker Kaiser Kamal at Bangabhaban.

Alamgir, a veteran BNP politician, was elected President by Parliament on Thursday. His elevation to the largely ceremonial office of head of state marked another important political development following the BNP’s return to government earlier this year.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, senior members of the Cabinet, the Chief Justice, political leaders, foreign dignitaries and senior civil and military officials were among those present during the ceremonies at Bangabhaban.

Government reshapes team

The ministerial changes come amid vacancies and adjustments within the government since February. Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Dipen Dewan resigned on June 1 citing health reasons, while other changes in the administration have also created the need for redistribution of responsibilities.

Rahman’s government took office following a major political transition in Bangladesh. The February election restored an elected administration after the interim government that had governed the country following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024. The BNP emerged as the dominant force in the election, enabling Rahman to form the government on February 17.

The latest expansion therefore represents an effort to strengthen the administration as it enters the next phase of its tenure. With senior political figures joining the government and existing members being elevated, attention will now turn to how portfolios and responsibilities are distributed among the expanded ministerial team.

Six months in office

For Rahman, the reshuffle comes at a point when the government is moving from its immediate post-election phase towards longer-term governance. The addition of experienced political figures could help broaden the administration’s capacity as it deals with economic, diplomatic and domestic challenges.

The timing is also notable because it coincides with Alamgir’s move to the presidency, giving Bangladesh a new head of state on the same day that the government expanded its executive team. The two developments underline the continuing reorganisation of the country’s political leadership following the transition that began with the February election.

With the swearing-in completed, the focus will shift to the responsibilities assigned to the new ministers and state ministers and the role they will play as Rahman seeks to consolidate his government six months after taking power.