Reshuffle in cabinet soon

Reshuffle in the cabinet will be made within a day or two as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina plans to include 10 more ministers and state ministers in the council of ministers, said sources.
“It is at the final stage. The names of the new ministers and state ministers are likely to be announced on Sunday,” said a source at the Prime Minister’s Office.
The cabinet division might send the names to Bangabhaban Secretariat today for making preparations for the oath-taking ceremony as the premier is set to leave for Egypt on July 14, said the source.
However, another source said the reshuffle might be done upon Hasina’s return on July 17.
It will be the first reshuffle in Hasina’s six-month-old cabinet.
“The regions the party leaders come from will be taken into consideration for inclusion in the council of ministers,” sources added.
Sources said Hasina might induct new faces into her cabinet this time too.
“She [prime minister] has evaluated the overall performance of ministers and state ministers. The portfolios of those who put up a poor show will be changed to low-profile ones through inclusion of new cabinet members,” said sources.
Soon after forming the cabinet, Hasina warned her colleagues of losing portfolios for failure in putting up satisfactory performance.
Rumors of reshuffle in cabinet have been rife in recent times. But sources said the premier took her time to evaluate performance of the cabinet members.
Of the 10 new cabinet members, two to three could be from AL presidium members and joint general secretaries while one might be picked up from Jatiya Party, a component of the Awami League-led coalition.
Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad on Thursday night held talks with the premier at her parliament office on inclusion of another JP leader in the cabinet. JP lawmaker GM Quader currently holds the portfolio of the civil aviation and tourism ministry.
A technocrat might also be given a portfolio in the council of ministers.
The prime minister expanded her cabinet on January 24 through inclusion of six state ministers. The council of ministers now has 38 members. Besides, there are seven advisers to the prime minister.

Courtesy of The Daily Star