The size of the interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus is going to be expanded as some new faces will take oath as advisers today.
Sources at the Cabinet Division say that four or five more advisers will take oath as advisers of the Interim government in the afternoon at Bangabhaban.
“The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Durbar Hall of the Bangabhaban at 4:00 pm on Friday. But details, including the names of proposed advisers could not be known immediately,” President’s press secretary Joynal Abedin told media on Thursday.
Of the new faces, Ali Imam Majumder, special assistance (Equivalent to the post of adviser) to the Chief Adviser, will be made an adviser of the interim government.
Noted economist Wahiduddin Mahmud, former secretary Fouzul Kabir Khan and former Lt Gen (rtd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury may join the interim government as advisers, sources said.
Sources at the transport pool said that they had been asked to prepare five cars.
Earlier, 16 advisers of Dr Muhammad Yunus-led interim government were sworn-in in three phases starting from August 8, just
three days following the fall of Sheikh Hasina government in the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Three advisers ---Bidhan Ranjan Roy, Supradip Chakma and Faruki Azam---could not take the oath on August 8 as they were out of the capital.
Amid a mass upsurge, Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister and fled to India on August 5. On that day, the cabinet was dissolved. Later on August 6, the President dissolved the 12th Jatiya Sangsad.
The name of advisers who took oath were Saleh Uddin Ahmed, Dr Asif Nazrul, Adilur Rahman Khan, Hassan Ariff, Touhid Hossain, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Brig General (rtd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Supradip Chakma, Farida Akhter, Bidhan Ranjan Roy, AFM Khalid Hossain, Nurjahan Begum, Sharmeen Murshid, Farooq-e-Azam, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan.
Of the advisers, two --- Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud --- are representing the students who have dragged the AL government down to the earth through the mass upsurge.
After the formation of the government, the Cabinet Division the next day announced the portfolios of the interim government, with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to oversee 27 ministries and divisions.
The announcement, published on Friday outlines the ministries and divisions that Dr. Yunus will lead in the interim administration:
Cabinet Division, Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces Division, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Ministry of Food, Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Ministry of Land, Ministry of Textiles and Jute, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Public Administration, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs and Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.
The portfolios of the rest of the advisers of the interim government are as follows; Salehuddin Ahmed: Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Planning, Asif Nazrul: Law Ministry, Adilur Rahman Khan: Industries Ministry, Hasan Arif: LGRD Ministry, Syeda Rizwana Hasan: Environment Ministry, Sharmin Murshid: Social Welfare Ministry, Brigadier (retd) AKM Sakhawat Hossain: Ministry of Home Affairs, AFM Khalid Hossain: Religious Affairs Ministry, Farida Akhtar: Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, Nurjahan Begum: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Nahid Islam: Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Asif Mahmud: Youth and Sports Ministry.
After taking oath, Farooq-e-Azam was given the charge of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs while Supradip Chakma and Bidhan Roy were given the charges of the ministries of Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs and Primary and Mass Education respectively.