Cabinet sees major reshuffle in election year

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has brought a major change in cabinet in the final year of her government ahead of parliamentary election.

A gazette notification, signed by Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam on behalf of the President, was issued on Wednesday in this regard.

The Cabinet Secretary also announced the new assignments during a media briefing at the secretariat in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Newly sworn-in Mustafa Jabbar has been tasked with the Ministry of Posts, Telecom and ICT as a technocrat minister.

Narayan Chandra Chanda will lead the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock as minister, where he was a state minister.

Muhammed Sayedul Hoque who died on December 16 last year was serving as the Fisheries and Livestock Minister.

AKM Shajahan Kamal has been given the charge of Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry a day after taking oath.

Workers Party Chairman Rashed Khan Menon is now the social welfare minister, who was in charge of civil aviation and tourism ministry before.

Md. Nuruzzaman Ahmed has been made the state minister for social welfare. He was heading the ministry in the capacity of state minister following the death of then minister Syed Mohsin Ali.

Anwar Hossain Manju replaced Anisul Islam Mahmud as the minister for water resources.

Jatiya Party's Anisul Islam Mahmud will now act as the environment and forest minister.

Kazi Keramat Ali has been given the charge of state minister for technical and madrasa education department under the ministry of education.

Advocate Tarana Halim has got the charge of state minister for information. She was in discussion for several key initiatives in the telecom industry as state minister for posts and telecom.

She had been leading the posts and telecom division as state minister since the suspension of then minister Latif Siddique.

According to several agencies, the cabinet was last expanded on July 12, 2015 when three ministers and two state ministers were sworn in.