Bangladeshi premier expands her cabinet

Jul 31, 2009, 11:36 GMT

   Dhaka - Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed on Friday inducted six more ministers into her cabinet, increasing its members to 43, which her administration said was done to reduce the ministers' workload.

   'We have expanded the council of ministers as workload of those who were in charge of different ministries was increasing,' Hasina told reporters after the swearing-in of the new ministers at the presidential Bangabhaban palace.

   Hasina also reshuffled a few portfolios.

   She moved State Minister for Energy and Power Shamsul Huq Tuku to the Ministry of Home Affairs after the position had been vacant for a couple of months after the resignation of Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj.

   State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmood was given charge of the Ministry of Environment and Forest while former environmental chief Mostafizur Rahman was given the land portfolio.

   The cabinet reshuffle was the second since Hasina's Awami League-led alliance secured a sweeping victory in elections late last year that ended two years of rule by a military-backed government.

   Among the new ministers, Shahjahan Khan replaced Afsarul Amin at the Shipping and Inland Water Transport Ministry. Amin took over the Primary and Mass Education Ministry. Retired army officer Enamul Huq was made state minister for power, energy and mineral resources.

   Mahbubur Rahman is now at the Water Resources Ministry as state minister, Mujibur Rahman Fakir at the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Promod Mankin at the Culture Affairs Ministry and Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury at the Women and Children Affairs Ministry.

   The cabinet expansion came a day after Hasina announced that the executive committee of her Awami League had dropped most of the longtime party heavyweights from the party's policymaking body.

   They were not accommodated in the cabinet.