Sheikh Hasina Sworn in as the Premier of Bangladesh

Dhaka (UJI Correspondent): Awami League President Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 6th of January 2009. 23 Ministers and eight State Ministers, picked by the new Prime Minister to run the government for the next five years, also took oath. With the swearing of a New Premier and ministers, the caretaker government comes to an end.
President Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed administered the oath of office to Sheikh Hasina at the Darbar Hall of the Bangabhaban at about 6.45 p.m. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be in charge of six key ministries and two divisions- Armed Forces and Cabinet Divisions as she allocated the rest of the portfolios to members of her new cabinet.

The Ministries under her stewardship are Energy and Mineral Resources, Defence, Establishment, Housing and Public Works, Religious Affairs, and Women and Children Affairs.

Minority representation:
Out of the 23 Ministers there is one from the Hindu community- Mr.Ramesh Chandra Sen. One Buddhist – Mr. Dilip Barua and one from the Chakma community - Mr. Dipankar Talukdar.

The Cabinet Ministers:
The portfolios distributed among 23 Cabinet Ministers are:
1. Abdul Maal Abdul Muhith – Finance Ministry
2. Begum Matia Chowdhury – Agriculture.
3. Abdul Latif Siddiqui – Jute and Textiles.
4. Barrister Shafique Ahmed- Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
5. Air Vice Marshal (retired) A.K. Khandaker – Planning
6. Razi Uddin Ahmed razu – Post and Telecommunications.
7. Adv.Ms. Sahara Katun – Home Affairs.
8. Syed Ashraful Islam – Local Government and Rural Development.
9. Eng. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain – Labur and Employment, Overseas, Emploment and Exptriate Welfare.
10. Rezaul Karim Hira – Land
11. Abul Kalam Azad – Information and Cultural Affairs.
12. Enamul Huq Mostafa Shaheed – Social Welfare.
13. Dilip Barua – Industries.
14. Ramesh Chandra Sen – Water Resources.
15. G.M. Qader – Civil Aviation and Tourism
16. Lt.Col (retired) Faruq Khan –Commerce
17. Syed Abul Hossain – Communications.
18. Dr.Abdur Razzak – Food and Disaster Management.
19. Dr. Afsarul Amin – Shipping.
20. Dr. AFM Ruhul Huq – Heath and Family Welfare.
21. Dr. Dipumoni – Foreign Affairs.
22. Nurul Islam Naheed – Education, Primary and Mass Education.
23. Abdul Latif Biswas – Fisheries and Livestock.

The State Ministers:
1. Adv. Mustafizur Rahman – Forest and Environment
2. Capt. (retgired) ABM Tazul Islam – Liberation War Affairs,
3. Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj – Home Affairs.
4. Begum Munnujan Sufian – Labour and employment.
5. Architect Yafez Osman –Information Communication and Technology.
6. Dr.Hasan Mahud – Foreign Affairs.
7. Dipankar Talukdar – Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs.
8. Ahad Ali Sarker – Youth and Sports.