Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, unveiled the portfolios of his newly appointed 16-member advisory council on Friday. At 84, Yunus assumes the role of chief advisor, a position equivalent to that of a prime minister, tasked with stabilising the country following a turbulent period marked by severe anti-government protests. The demonstrations, which led to the toppling of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration, were fueled by widespread discontent and violence.
Yunus was sworn in as the interim head of government on Thursday, following the dissolution of Parliament and the ouster of Hasina’s government earlier this week. Yunus’s advisory council was chosen with input from student leaders, military officials, and representatives of civil society.
Three members of the advisory council, primarily from civil society, were unable to take the oath at the Bangabhaban presidential palace on Thursday night. They were outside the capital at the time.
Bangladesh Portfolio Allocation – Who got what?
Prof Muhammad Yunus: Cabinet Division, defence ministry, armed forces division, education ministry, road highways and bridges ministry, food ministry, housing and public works ministry, land ministry, textiles and jute ministry, agriculture ministry, science and technology ministry, railways ministry, public administration ministry, power, energy and mineral resources ministry, shipping ministry, water resources ministry, women and children affairs ministry, disaster management and relief ministry, information and broadcasting ministry, expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry, commerce ministry, labour and employment ministry, cultural affairs ministry, civil aviation and tourism ministry, liberation war affairs ministry, Chittagong hill tracts affairs ministry, and primary and mass education ministry.
Foreign ministry: Former foreign secretary Mohammad Touhid Hossain
Home Ministry: Army brigadier general M Sakhawat Hossain
Finance and planning ministries: Former Bangladesh Bank governor Salahuddin Ahmed
Local government ministry: Former attorney general A F Hassan Arif
Telecommunications and information technology: M Nahid Islam
Youth and sports: Asif Mahmud
Health ministry: Nurjahan Begum
Fisheries and livestock ministry: Farida Akhtar
Religious affairs ministry: AFM Khalid Hossain
Social welfare ministry: Sharmeen Murshid
Environment ministry: Syeda Rizwana Hasan
Industries ministry: Adilur Rahman Khan
Law Ministry: Asif Nazrul