Bangladesh Protest Update: Interim leader announces new cabinet and takes charge of key ministries
Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has announced the new council of advisors and taken control of 27 key ministries. Yunus, who was sworn in as chief advisor—a role similar to a prime minister—on Thursday, has assumed responsibility for a broad range of portfolios, including defense and public administration.
Key Appointments
- Foreign Ministry: Mohammad Touhid Hossain, a former foreign secretary, will lead the foreign ministry.
- Home Ministry: Retired Army Brigadier General M Sakhawat Hossain will oversee the home ministry.
- Finance and Planning Ministries: Salahuddin Ahmed, the former Bangladesh Bank governor, has been appointed.
- Local Government Ministry: A F Hassan Arif, a former attorney general, will manage this ministry.
- Telecommunications and IT: M Nahid Islam, a student leader, will be in charge.
- Youth and Sports: Asif Mahmud, another student leader, will take this role.
Background
Muhammad Yunus, 84, took over from Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled to India amid violent protests against her government’s controversial quota system for jobs. The unrest led to the formation of Yunus’s interim government, which has been visibly supported by the military.
Yunus has decided to personally manage several key ministries, including:
- Defense
- Public Administration
- Education
- Energy
- Food
- Water Resources
- Information
Unfilled Positions
Three members of the advisors’ council, primarily from civil society, were unable to take their oaths due to their absence from the capital. It is anticipated that Yunus might redistribute some of the 27 ministries to these members.