The government has carried out its first cabinet reshuffle six months into its term. Shortly after Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as president on Friday, three new full ministers and two state ministers took oath.
One state minister was promoted to full minister. At the same time, one minister was given a different portfolio, while another was removed from the cabinet and appointed as an adviser to the prime minister with the rank of a minister.
The reshuffle has drawn mixed reactions in political and administrative circles. Some people close to the government see it as an initial outcome of the prime minister’s promised six-month performance review. Others view it as an effort to fill several vacant posts, redistribute portfolios and improve political coordination.
Meanwhile, discussions have already begun about another cabinet reorganisation. A responsible source at the Prime Minister’s Office said further changes could come within a few weeks. However, discussions in political and administrative circles suggest that the next round could be delayed until September.
The biggest question raised by this reshuffle concerns the structure of the cabinet. Following the expansion and redistribution of portfolios, several ministries now have a minister, a state minister and a prime minister’s adviser overseeing matters related to the same ministry. Questions have also been raised about why both a full minister and a state minister have been appointed to several relatively small ministries.