Millat elevated as Minister as govt reshuffles cabinet

Dhaka: M Rashiduzzaman Millat, who had been serving as State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, has been elevated to the rank of Minister as part of a six-member cabinet reshuffle announced on August 21.

Millat, a BNP lawmaker from Jamalpur-1, was among four politicians sworn in as Ministers at Bangabhaban. The other new Ministers are BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partho and BNP’s Bandarban MP Saching Prue.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir administered the oath of office and oath of secrecy to the six newly appointed Ministers and State Ministers at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban at around 7:40 pm.

The reshuffle also brought two new State Ministers into the government. Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kobir has been appointed state minister, while BNP lawmaker Mohammad Shamim Kaiser, elected from Gaibandha-4, has also joined the state ministerial ranks.

Moyeen Khan, who represents Narsingdi-2, previously served as Information Minister during the Khaleda Zia government from 2001 to 2002.

Partho, who represents Bhola-1, leads the BJP, which contested the most recent national election in alliance with the BNP.

Saching Prue, elected from Bandarban on a BNP ticket, also serves as convener of the party’s Bandarban district unit.

Millat’s elevation comes after his tenure overseeing the civil aviation and tourism portfolio as state minister. His promotion to minister is expected to give him a larger role in the government’s policymaking.

Humayun Kobir’s appointment marks his transition from the prime minister’s foreign affairs advisory role to the cabinet-level state minister position.