Cabinet of Bangladesh

Cabinet of Bangladesh
বাংলাদেশের মন্ত্রিসভা (Bengali)
Baṅladeśer Môntrisôbha
Agency overview
Formed26 April 1971 (1971-04-26)
Typehighest executive body of the Central government
JurisdictionGovernment of Bangladesh
HeadquartersBangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka
Prime Minister responsible
Agency executive
Child agency
  • Ministries of the government of Bangladesh
Websitewww.bangladesh.gov.bd

The Cabinet of Bangladesh (Bengali: বাংলাদেশের মন্ত্রিসভা, romanizedBaṅladeśer Môntrisôbha) is the chief executive body in the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The cabinet is the collective decision-making body of the entire government normally under the Office of the Prime Minister, composed of the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers. During a caretaker government or interim government, the cabinet is instead composed of the Chief Adviser and other cabinet advisers. These "advisorial" positions are equivalent to their respective ministerial positions.

Responsibility

Ministers of the government, according to the Constitution of Bangladesh, are selected primarily from the elected members of House of Nation, also known as Jatiya Sangsad. Cabinet ministers are heads of government departments, mostly with the office of the Minister of Department (or the Minister of Defence). The collective co-ordinating function of the cabinet is reinforced by the statutory position that all the ministers jointly hold the same office, and can exercise the same powers.

The cabinet is the ultimate decision-making body of the executive within the parliamentary system of government in traditional constitutional theory of Bangladesh. This interpretation was originally put across in the work of the Bangladesh constitution in 1972. The political and decision-making authority of the cabinet has been gradually increased over the last few decades, with some claiming its role has been usurped by "prime ministerial" (i.e., more "presidential") government.

The cabinet is the executive committee of the Prime Minister's office, a historic body which has legislative, judicial and executive functions, and whose large membership does include members of the opposition or coalition. Its decisions are generally implemented either under the existing powers of individual government departments, or by the cabinet secretary, the most senior civil servant in Bangladesh.

There shall be a Cabinet for Bangladesh having the Prime Minister at its head and comprising also such other Ministers as the Prime Minister may from time to time designate. The executive power of the Republic shall, in accordance with this Constitution, be exercised by or on the authority of the Prime Minister. The Cabinet shall be collectively responsible to Parliament. All executive actions of the Government shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the President. The President shall by rules specify the manner in which orders and other instruments made in his name shall be attested or authenticated, and the validity of any order or instrument so attested or authenticated shall not be questioned in any court on the ground that it was not duly made or executed. The President shall make rules for the allocation and transaction of the business of the Government.

— Article 55 (1-6): The Cabinet; Part-IV (The Executive), Chapter II: The Prime Minister and the Cabinet, The Constitution of Bangladesh[1]

Current cabinet and cabinet-rank officials

The most influential part of the executive of the Bangladesh government are the ministries.[2] A ministry headed by a minister or state minister (independent charges) shall be responsible for conducting the business of his ministry/division in the parliament unless otherwise directed by the Prime Minister's Office. The secretary is the administrative head of a ministry or division; and is assisted by an additional secretary, joint secretary, deputy secretary, senior assistant secretary and assistant secretary. A few ministries consist of more than one division.

List of Ministries

Cabinet Ministers

Portfolio Name Took office Left office Party Remarks
Prime Minister and also in-charge of: Tarique Rahman 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Dipen Dewan 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Labour and Employment
Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment
Ariful Haque Choudhury 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Cultural Affairs Nitai Roy Chowdhury 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Liberation War Affairs Hafizuddin Ahmed 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Proposed Ministry of Transport:
Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges
Ministry of Railways
Ministry of Shipping
Sheikh Rabiul Alam 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Finance Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Md Asaduzzaman 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Proposed Ministry of Commerce and Industries:
Ministry of Commerce
Ministry of Textiles and Jute
Ministry of Industries
Khandaker Abdul Muktadir 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Home Affairs Salahuddin Ahmed 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Afroza Khanam Rita 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Khalilur Rahman 17 February 2026 Incumbent Independent
Proposed Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare:
Ministry of Social Welfare
Ministry of Women and Children Affairs
A. Z. M. Zahid Hossain 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Planning Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Religious Affairs Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Housing and Public Works Zakaria Taher Sumon 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Land Mizanur Rahman Minu 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Proposed Ministry of Food and Agriculture:
Ministry of Food
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
Amin ur Rashid Yasin 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Proposed Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology:
Ministry of Science and Technology
Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology
Fakir Mahbub Anam Swapan 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bokul 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Public Administration 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Youth and Sports 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Abdul Awal Mintoo 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (merger proposed)
A. N. M. Ehsanul Hoque Milan 17 February 2026 Incumbent BNP

List of previous cabinets

The following is a list of government cabinets of Bangladesh.[3][4]

Government Seal of Bangladesh
No. Cabinet Formation date Election Governing party Governing system Ref.
1 Tajuddin/Mujib I 17 April 1971 None Bangladesh Awami League Provisional
2 Mujib II 13 January 1972 1970 [5]
3 Mujib III 16 March 1973 1973 Parliamentary
4 Mujib IV 25 January 1975 None Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League Presidential
5 Mostaq 15 August 1975 Impartial Interim
6 Sayem I 10 November 1975
7 Sayem II 26 November 1975
8 Zia I 21 April 1977 1977 Military Presidential [6]
9 Zia II 29 June 1978 1978 Jatiyatabadi Front
10 Zia III 15 April 1979 1979 Bangladesh Nationalist Party
11 Sattar 27 November 1981 1981
12 Ershad I 27 March 1982 1982 Military
13 Ershad II 11 December 1983 1986
1988
Jatiya Party
14 Shahabuddin 6 December 1990 None Impartial Interim
15 Khaleda I 20 March 1991 1991 Bangladesh Nationalist Party Parliamentary
16 Khaleda II 19 March 1996 Feb 1996
17 Habib 30 March 1996 None Impartial Caretaker
18 Hasina I 23 June 1996 Jun 1996 Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary
19 Latif 15 July 2001 None Impartial Caretaker
20 Khaleda III 10 October 2001 2001 Bangladesh Nationalist Party Parliamentary
21 Iajuddin 29 October 2006 None Impartial Caretaker
22 Fakhruddin 11 January 2007
23 Hasina II 6 January 2009 2008 Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary
24 Hasina III 24 January 2014 2014
25 Hasina IV 7 January 2019 2018
26 Hasina V 11 January 2024 2024
27 Yunus 8 August 2024 None Impartial Interim
28 Tarique 17 February 2026 2026 Bangladesh Nationalist Party Parliamentary

Notes

References

  1. ^ "Chapter 3: Chapter:3 The Federal Government". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  2. ^ "বাংলাদেশ (Bangladesh) জাতীয় তথ্য বাতায়ন | গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ সরকার | People's Republic of Bangladesh".
  3. ^ History of Bangladesh (1971-present), from academia.edu.
  4. ^ Rahman, Syedur (27 April 2010). Historical Dictionary of Bangladesh. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810874534.
  5. ^ Preston, Ian (2005) [First published 2001]. A Political Chronology of Central, South and East Asia. Europa Publications. p. 17. ISBN 9781857431148.
  6. ^ Preston, Ian (2005) [First published 2001]. A Political Chronology of Central, South and East Asia. Europa Publications. p. 19. ISBN 9781857431148.