Bangladesh
Ministers who retain their posts in new cabinet
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has formed a 37-member cabinet with 19 new faces in her new government on Thursday evening.
In the new cabinet, some heavyweight ministers and state ministers have been dropped while some have retained their positions.
A total of 36 ministers and state ministers took oath as members of the cabinet on Thursday at the Bangabhaban. Of them, 25 are full ministers while the 11 are state ministers.
Among the full ministers, only 10 served in the outgoing cabinet. State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain and Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan took oath as full ministers.
Those who retained their position as full ministers are AKM Mozammel Haque (Ministry of Liberation War Affairs), Obaidul Quader (Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges), Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun (Ministry of Industries), Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal (Ministry of Home Affairs), Tajul Islam (Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives), Advocate Anisul Haq (Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs), Sadhan Chandra Majumder (Ministry of Food) and Faridul Haque Khan (Ministry of Religious Affairs), among others.
Four state ministers retain their positions: Nasrul Hamid (Power & Energy), Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury (Shipping), Zunaid Ahmed Palak (ICT), and Zahid Faruk (Water Resources).
Samanta Lal Sen new health minister
Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute Coordinator Prof Dr Samanta Lal Sen has been appointed as health minister.
He will be replacing Dr Zahid Maleque and will serve as a technocrat minister.
The Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification on Thursday allocating the responsibilities of the ministries among the new cabinet members.
In an instant reaction on Thursday evening, Dr Sen said,"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given me the responsibility of the ministry. I'll try my best to serve".
Earlier, cabinet members of the new government, formed by the Awami League, took oath of office at the Bangabhaban.
In 2018, Dr Sen was honoured with “Bangla Academy Fellowship" for special contribution to medical care.
Meanwhile, Director General of the Department of Health Prof. Dr. Abul Bashar Mohammed Khurshid Alam, congratulated the newly appointed Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
Switzerland expresses optimism for ‘robust cooperation’ with Bangladesh
Switzerland has expressed its commitment to continue robust cooperation with Bangladesh for mutual prosperity.
Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Reto Renggli attended the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh's new Cabinet on Thursday evening.
He expressed best wishes for their success in leading Bangladesh.
"The Embassy of Switzerland reaffirms its commitment to robust cooperation for mutual prosperity with Bangladesh," said the Embassy.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is leading the 37-member new Cabinet.
Outgoing FM Momen thanks PM Hasina for giving him chance to serve
Outgoing Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has expressed optimism that his economic diplomacy, public diplomacy and regional peace and stability packages that he introduced will help achieve the goal of Sonar Bangla.
"I am proud that PM Sheikh Hasina gave me a chance to discharge my duties and responsibilities as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh with honesty, sincerity, and to the best of my ability," he told UNB on Thursday morning.
In spite of so many odds and challenges, Momen said that he is proud of his performance.
"I am pleased as the Bangladeshi people both at home and abroad liked my performance and standing, and I could achieve many goals," said Momen, who played a significant role during Covid-19 in arranging vacancies available.
Good news is, Momen said, "I am still alive and as long as I have friends and well wishers like you, I can do things that are good for people, for humanity, and of course, for my country."
Thanking his colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Momen said, "Thank you. Life in politics and public life has always ups and downs and it says, man wishes and God disposes."
The foreign minister who led the Foreign Ministry during tough time concluded, saying: “Wish me good luck."
Papon made Minister for Youth and Sports
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hassan Papon has been made the minister for Youth and Sports.
The portfolio was distributed after the oath-taking ceremony at Bangabhaban on Thursday evening.
Papon was elected from Kishoreganj-6 constituency in the 12th parliamentary election held on January 7.
Earlier, State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russel was in charge of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the 11th Parliament.
There are 25 ministers and 11 state ministers in the new cabinet along with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Of them, two will serve as technocrat ministers.
PM Hasina appoints 6 advisors
After forming the 37-member cabinet, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has appointed six advisors.
The Cabinet Division published a gazette notification signed by its secretary Md Mahbub Hossain on Thursday night in this regard.
They are Dr. Mashiur Rahman, Dr. Gowher Rizvi, Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Maj. Gen. (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Salman Fazlur Rahman
But, the gazette didn’t mention about the responsibilities to be bestowed on them.
“The Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh appointed the five advisors under the rule 3B (i) of the Rules of Business, 1996 with portfolio on January 11,” the gazette said.
According to the gazette, the advisors will get the rank, salary and allowances of a minister.
Earlier, Mashiur, Gowher Rizvi, Tawfiq-e-Elahi, Tarique Ahmed and Salam F Rahman served as economic, international, power and energy and mineral resources, security and investment advisors.
Ziauddin reappointed as Ambassador-at-Large
Former ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin has once again been appointed as an Ambassador-at-Large with the rank and status of a minister.
A gazette notification, signed by Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain, was issued in regard to his appointment on Thursday night.
He will enjoy all the facilities, including the salary, allotted for a minister, reads the notice.
Graduating from St Gregory's High School, he completed his Intermediate of Humanities from Notre Dame College in Dhaka; BA Honours and MA in English literature from the University of Dhaka
Ziauddin served as Bangladesh ambassador to the US and was concurrently accredited to the Republic of Argentina, Belize, the Republic of Colombia, the Dominican Republic, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
He was also the permanent representative at the International Seabed Authority located in Jamaica.
After joining the diplomatic service, Ziauddin served in the Bangladesh High Commission in London, the Bangladesh High Commission in Nairobi, and the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York.
Also, he was director-general of the International Organisations Wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and chief of protocol to the Government of Bangladesh before joining as the Bangladesh ambassador to Italy.
Ziauddin was Ambassador to Italy, concurrently in charge as Bangladesh ambassador to the Republic of Albania and to the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He was also the permanent representative of Bangladesh to FAO, WFP, and IFAD.
Mamata Benerjee congratulates PM Hasina
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for forming the government for the fourth consecutive times.
In the evening, Mamata telephoned the Prime Minister.
The West Bengal Chief Minister congratulated Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh on the historic victory of the Awami League in the 12th Parliament Elections, Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary KM Shakhawat Moon said.
She also congratulated the family members of Bangabandhu on this victory.
Moon said that during the telephone conversation, apart from the exchange greetings, various bilateral issues were discussed.
At the same time, they expressed their confidence to continue working together in the future as in the past to improve the living standards of the people of the two countries by continuing all mutual cooperation.
Four crude bombs recovered from under Benapole’s culvert
Police recovered four abandoned crude bombs from under a culvert in Benapole of Jashore on Thursday.
Confirming the matter, Benapole police station’s Officer-in-charge Sumon Bhakta said that locals spotted the crude bombs wrapped with red tape under the culvert on Thursday afternoon.
Being informed, a police team went there and recovered the bombs, he said, adding that these were kept in water.
The police officer, however, said no one could be detained in this connection but an effort was on to identify those who were involved with this.
On January 6 this year, police recovered 10 crude bombs from Vrithachra village under Benapole Port Police Station.
Such crude bombs are frequently recovered in the Benapole.
ACC finds irregularities in providing free medicines to patients
A team of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) conducted a drive in Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on charges of irregularities in providing medicine to patients.
A four-member team headed by ACC’s Chattogram Combined-1 Office Assistant Director Md Enamul Haque conducted the drive from morning to afternoon.
The team found various irregularities and irregularities in the supply of free medicines to patients and identified seven people involved with the crimes.
It was learned that the ACC team conducted the drive after receiving a call on their hotline ‘106’ from one of the victims.
At first, they conducted the drive at the emergency department and later at the medicine ward.
The team found that the government medicines are sold outside of the hospital despite the need for patients admitted to the CMCH.
ACC Officer Enamul said patients don’t get the free medicines due to irregularities in the medicine store room.
He said they identified seven accused and recommended to the CMCH authority to take action against them.
“We also collected files of irregularities and would send them to the ACC headquarters after verifying,” he said.