Prominent old guards may be sidelined in charter for change
Hasan Jahid Tusher
Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina may pick younger, educated and deft leaders in the party as cabinet colleagues to implement her party’s electoral pledges at the earliest.
Party sources said the AL chief might opt for a small cabinet comprised of 25-30 members including a few renowned professionals as technocrat ministers for finance and law, among others.
A few leaders from among the allies may also be given the cabinet portfolio, according to sources of parties in the alliance.
As of yesterday, however, Hasina did not say much about her cabinet to be formed within next week.
Meanwhile, a few senior party leaders anonymously expressed their views on the formation of the new cabinet.
Most of them have suggested not picking tendentious persons, especially those who earlier failed to show competence and quality, to avert further controversy. They said party men with clean image at home and abroad would be given priority for cabinet posts.
Role of party leaders in the last seven years, especially after the 1/11 changeover, will also be taken into consideration for this, the sources added.
Talking to The Daily Star, AL Commerce and Industry Secretary Col (retd) Faruk Khan said, “I believe the party chief will pick more efficient persons who will be able to contribute to the fulfilment of the party’s electoral manifesto and the Vision 2021.”
Replying to a query, he said he does not know yet if he would be chosen as a cabinet minister.
Sources said senior Presidium members of the AL, including Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta and Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, might be kept out of the cabinet and made chairpersons of different standing committees.
Those whose names are being widely discussed among the party rank and file as the next cabinet members are Matia Chowdhury, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Obaidul Quader, Syed Ashraful Islam, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Bir Bahadur, Asaduzzaman Noor, Nurul Islam Nahid, Col (retd) Faruk Khan, Dr Abdur Razzak, Dr Dipu Moni, Dr Hasan Mahmud, HN Ashiqur Rahman, Shahara Khatun, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mirza Azam, Prof AFM Ruhul Haque and Fazle Noor Taposh.
Hasina might also include JP acting Chairman barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud and presidium members Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu and GM Quader, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon and politburo member Fazle Hossain Badsha, and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal President Hasanul Haque Inu in her cabinet.
Names of Dr Farash Uddin Ahmed, Dr Moshiur Rahman and Muhith are being widely discussed for the next finance minister.
Party leaders are also discussing names of a few teachers of Dhaka University, including Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Prof AK Azad Chowdhury and Prof Abul Barakat, as possible members of the cabinet.
Sources said Hasina might appoint Zillur Rahman, the senior most Presidium member of her party, as the president of the country.
INDIAN HC MEETS HASINA
Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty held a meeting with Sheikh Hasina at Sudha Sadan last night, reports UNB.
Dr Hasan Mahmud, a special assistant to Hasina, told reporters that the Indian envoy handed over her felicitation letters of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.
He said the Indian envoy also discussed how New Delhi can contribute to economic development of Bangladesh.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
