The interim government is reportedly preparing to redistribute key portfolios following the impending resignations of two Advisers, Mahfuj Alam and Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, ahead of the schedule announcement for the 13th national parliamentary election.
According to government sources, Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan and Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan are being considered to take on the vacant ministries as additional charges, reports Prothom Alo.
The three ministries set to become vacant are the Local Government Ministry, Youth and Sports Ministry, and Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
New Portfolio Distribution
Discussions at the highest levels of the government suggest the following reassignments:
- Adilur Rahman Khan, currently the Adviser for the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Ministry of Industry, may be given the additional responsibility of the Local Government Ministry.
- Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the Adviser for the Ministry of Environment, may take on the additional charges of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Youth and Sports Ministry.
The decision to appoint existing members to the vacant roles, rather than introducing new faces, stems from the government’s preference to maintain stability in the final phase of its tenure.
Reluctance Over Local Government Ministry
Sources indicated that Adilur Rahman Khan initially expressed reluctance to take over the Local Government Ministry due to various media reports highlighting irregularities within the ministry, fearing he might incur accountability for past issues. However, he was eventually convinced to accept the role given the government’s aim to assign the portfolio to an existing Adviser.
Context of Resignations
The resignations will vacate the following posts:
- Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan currently serves as the Adviser for the Local Government Ministry and the Youth and Sports Ministry.
- Mahfuj Alam currently serves as the Adviser for the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The interim government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, was formed on August 8 last year, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5. Both Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and former Information Adviser Nahid Islam (who resigned earlier to form the National Citizens’ Party, NCP) initially joined the Advisory Council as student representatives of the July mass uprising. Mahfuj Alam later assumed the role of Information and Broadcasting Adviser after Nahid Islam’s resignation in February.
Source: Prothom Alo
