Amu, Tofail of AL, Menon of WP, Rawshan Ershad, Anisul Islam Mahmud of JP likely to be inducted
Members of the cabinet in the much-hyped poll-time government to oversee the next general election take oath at 3pm on Monday. “Only the new ministers will take oath on Monday afternoon at Bangabhaban as part of the process to form an all-party poll-time government,” Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told newsmen after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met President Abdul Hamid on Sunday evening.
The prime minister handed over resignation letters of her cabinet members to the president to pave the way for forming the poll-time government.
The new interim cabinet headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will induct fresh faces from its partners in the grand alliance, including Jatiya Party and the Workers Party of Bangladesh, sources said.
President Abdul Hamid will administer oath to the new members of the cabinet at a simple ceremony at Bangabhaban.
According to the sources, there will be 15 to 22 members in the poll-time cabinet. Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed from Awami League, Rashed Khan Menon from Workers Party, Rawshan Ershad, Ruhul Amin Hawlader, GM Quader, Anisul Islam Mahmud, Salma Islam and Mujibul Huq Chunnu from Jatiya Party are likely to be included in the cabinet, sources in the AL and JP confirmed.
Current ministers who are likely to continue are Finance Minister AMA Muhith, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Forest Minister Hassan Mahmud and Food Minister Abdur Razzak.
During the briefing the cabinet secretary said the premier apprised the president that an all-party poll-time government would be formed to oversee the next general election and that the size of the cabinet would be smaller than the existing one.
“The prime minister apprised the president about that plan as well as the probable activities of that cabinet,” he said adding that the president also welcomed the initiative of the prime minister wishing her overall success.
The cabinet secretary said Sheikh Hasina also apprised Abdul Hamid about the overall situation of the country alongside the activities of the present government.
Earlier in the day, at the last cabinet meeting of the AL-led grand alliance government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina informed her cabinet colleagues that she will form an all-party poll-time government as early as possible, a senior minister told The Independent, quoting the premier.
“I will submit your resignation letters to the president as soon as possible for forming a poll-time all-party government with the elected public representatives,” he said, further quoting the PM.
The minister said, “The premier told us that those ministers, whose resignation letters would not be accepted by the president, will continue their duties.”
“The size of the poll-time government would be small, headed by the incumbent prime minister, as per the constitution,” the minister further quoted the PM.
During the cabinet meeting, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam proposed to the PM to continue the existing cabinet during the country’s upcoming general election in accordance with the constitution. However, some ministers disagreed with his proposal, and said that “the people of the country would not allow the existing cabinet during the polls and the members of the law enforcement agencies would not be able to ensure the security of all the ministers.”
In response to the proposal by Syed Ashraf, Sheikh Hasina said, “I have committed to the people to form a poll-time all-party interim government for holding a peaceful and credible election. And that is why I will do this. The people of the country also want this kind of government.”
Talking to this correspondent, another senior minister said at her secretariat office after the cabinet meeting that the prime minister is trying to move ahead to ensure continuation of democracy, but another quarter is trying to create impediments to the process.
“The country will move towards an uncertain future if the upcoming general election is not held. Awami League means ‘election party’ and the party does not believe attaining power through the backdoor,” she added.
She also hoped that their alliance partner, Jatiya Party (JP) headed by HM Ershad, will participate in the poll-time interim government. This is because, she added, the JP is a pro-election party and it also wants to hold elections. Ershad’s brother, GM Quader, will also retain his cabinet post in the new all-party government.
Meanwhile, the cabinet approved the draft of a national policy for the welfare of elderly people, recognising them as ‘senior citizens’.
The cabinet also approved a draft of the International Mother Languages Institute (IMLI) (Amendment) Act 2013 for inducting a representative of the UNESCO into the managing board, Cabinet Secretary M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
-With The Independent input
