Bangladesh’s interim govt announces portfolios of council of advisors; Yunus to oversee 27 ministries

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Friday announced the portfolios of the newly-appointed council of advisors and took charge of 27 ministries, including defence, and named career diplomat Mohammad Touhid Hossain to head the foreign ministry.

Nobel laureate Yunus, 84, on Thursday took oath as the head of an interim government, replacing Sheikh Hasina who abruptly resigned and fled to India leaving the country in turmoil following deadly protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.

He was sworn in as the chief advisor – a position equivalent to prime minister.

Other advisors were selected in consultation with student leaders, the military, and civil society representatives.

According to an official announcement, Yunus will oversee a broad array of ministries keeping to himself 27 portfolios including the defence, public administration, education, energy, food, water resources and information ministries.

Former foreign secretary Hossain has been entrusted with the charge of the foreign ministry while retired Army brigadier general M Sakhawat Hossain was tasked to oversee the home ministry.

Hossain was the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata from 2001 to 2005 and served as Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh from 2006 to 2009.

Former Bangladesh Bank governor Salahuddin Ahmed will be in charge of the finance and planning ministries while former attorney general A F Hassan Arif will oversee the local government ministry.

Two coordinators of Students Against Discrimination inducted in the interim cabinet M Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud were given the charge of telecommunications and information technology and youth and sports ministries respectively.

The group waged first the street movement to reform the quota system for government jobs last month which later turned into a public upsurge and ousted Hasina’s 15-year regime and installed the interim government, visibly backed by the military.

Three members of the advisers’ council, mostly civil society figures, could not take the oath on Thursday night at the Bangabhaban presidential palace as they were outside of the capital and officials presumed that Yunus might distribute some of the 27 portfolios to them.