Much curiosity and discussion over cabinet reshuffle
- Goal is to speed up government work and ensure effective leadership to implement electoral pledges
- However, political calculations are behind some of the changes

Graphics: Agamir Somoy
The Cabinet has been reshuffled just six months after the government took office. Along with the addition of new faces, several key ministries have changed hands. Some ministers have been promoted. Some have lost their previous portfolios. Others have remained in the Cabinet with new responsibilities. Overall, the reshuffle signals the government’s priorities and the way it plans to work during the next six months.
The changes in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have drawn particular attention. In some cases, ministers have changed portfolios. In others, state ministers have been promoted to full ministers. New faces have also been brought in to strengthen leadership in some ministries.
There had been discussions within the government that the changes could be made after evaluating its performance during the first six months. The goal was to speed up the work of the ministries and ensure effective leadership for implementing the government’s electoral pledges. However, people familiar with the matter believe political calculations also played a role in some of the changes.
The Cabinet was expanded and reshuffled last Friday after the government completed six months on August 17. Five new ministers and state ministers have been added. One state minister has been promoted to a full minister. At the same time, the portfolios of several ministers have been changed.
Major change in Information Ministry
The biggest change in the reshuffle has come in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Andaleeb Rahman Partho, chairman of the BJP, has been appointed minister of the ministry replacing Zahir Uddin Swapan. There has been considerable discussion over why Swapan was removed. A section within the BNP believes he had been performing well in the ministry because of his long relationship with the media and his media friendly position. However, some people also reportedly complained about him to the party’s high command during this period.
Some people close to the government said that as information minister, Zahir Uddin Swapan was expected to take a more aggressive political stance against the opposition and the Awami League. However, he presented political issues in his own way. Some people also reportedly complained to the Prime Minister’s Office about several appointments. Some claim that these issues created a degree of distance between him and the Prime Minister’s Office.
However, Zahir Uddin Swapan is not leaving the government despite losing the ministry. He has been appointed Political Adviser to the Prime Minister with the rank of a minister. The Cabinet Division issued a notification regarding the appointment on Saturday.

