Fresh faces and old guards: BNP to blend continuity with change in new cabinet

Highlights

• Movement partners to be included in the cabinet
• BNP positive regarding 4 advisers from interim govt
• Multiple technocrats to be appointed

Following a majority win in the 13th National Parliamentary Election, the BNP has nearly finalised the blueprint for the new cabinet, composed of experienced and youth, elected and unelected individuals.

By forming a balanced cabinet of experience and youth, emphasis is being placed on implementing electoral pledges, accelerating administrative momentum, introducing new perspectives in policy-making, and fostering new leadership.

BNP is considering including several ministers from its 2001-2006 term in the current cabinet. Sources indicate that individuals who headed ministries that remained above controversy, or those with a "clean image", will be entrusted with various responsibilities.

Among them are Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir – considered for president, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan – speaker, Mirza Abbas – Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Salahuddin Ahmed – Ministry of Local Government, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury – Ministry of Commerce, and ANM Ehsanul Haq Milan – Ministry of Education.

Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku are also under consideration for the cabinet. Additionally, Nazrul Islam Khan, a member of the Standing Committee and Election Steering Committee, is being considered as the political adviser to the next prime minister.

Fresh faces in the cabinet

Multiple new faces are joining the new cabinet. Potential candidates include Ruhul Kabir Rizvi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (technocrat), Ismail Zabiullah: Ministry of Public Administration (technocrat), Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie: state minister for Home Affairs, and Humayun Kabir (foreign adviser to the chairman): state minister for Foreign Affairs (technocrat).

Dr AZM Zahid Hossain and Adv Fazlur Rahman are also in discussion, with the latter potentially receiving the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs.

Inclusion of movement partners

Years ago, BNP announced to form a "National Government" including the partners of the simultaneous movement against the Awami League. Consequently, several leaders from these partner parties will be in the new cabinet.

Leaders state that those who stood together during the long struggle will have their partnership ensured in the government formation process. Notable names include Bobby Hajjaj, Andaleeve Rahman Partha (BJP), Nurul Haq Nur (Gono Odhikar Parishad), Dr Reza Kibria: Ministry of Finance, and Mostafa Jamal Haider (12-Party alliance chief): under consideration for a technocrat quota.

According to the constitution, the formation of the new government will begin with the swearing-in of newly elected members. The president will appoint the prime minister based on a majority of MPs. Following the prime minister's oath, the formation of the cabinet will commence, the size of which will be determined by the winning party.

A member of the BNP Standing Committee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said discussions are ongoing regarding the formation of the council of ministers. 

"BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is supervising the process. The matter will become clear within a couple of days. It is difficult to say in advance who will be included," he said.

BNP Standing Committee member and newly elected MP from Cox's Bazar-1, Salahuddin Ahmed, said today that the nation will have to wait a little longer to see what kind of cabinet the BNP is going to form.

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the government may be formed by the 15th of this month.

Gazette publication next step in BNP's path to office

Following the Election Commission's announcement of results today, attention has shifted to the publication of the official gazette, which EC sources said is expected by today. 

Before a new cabinet can be sworn in, the Election Commission must publish the official gazette of results. After the gazette is published, the president will summon the first session of parliament, and the oath-taking will formally mark the beginning of the new parliament.

Under Article 148 of the Constitution, newly elected members must take their oath within three days of the gazette's publication. The countdown begins from the date of publication, not from the announcement of preliminary results, and the oath is usually administered by the previous speaker.

However, after the mass uprising of 2024, speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury resigned on 2 September. The previous parliament's deputy speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku is currently in prison but has not resigned.

In this context, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told The Business Standard that under Article 148, the speaker – or, in the speaker's absence, the deputy speaker – administers the oath to newly elected members. 

"If neither the speaker nor deputy speaker is available, the chief election commissioner will administer the oath within three days, starting from the fourth day after the gazette is published," he said.

On the expected timing of the gazette, he said, "If it is not published today [Friday], it will be issued tomorrow [Saturday]."

BNP's big win

The EC published preliminary results for 297 constituencies. Voting was held in 299 seats, but results from Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4 were withheld due to court cases against the winning candidates.

According to preliminary results, the BNP secured 209 seats, while Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 seats, placing it second. Other winners included the NCP with six seats, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis with two, and independent candidates with seven. 

Smaller parties, including Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Ganosamhati Andolon, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, and Khelafat Majlis, won one seat each.

Voter participation was 59.44%, according to EC Public Relations Director Ruhul Amin Mallik. Out of 127,711,793 registered voters, 75,359,684 cast their ballots. A total of 2,028 candidates from 50 political parties and independent groups contested across 299 constituencies.

The full results were released at 3:50pm today, nearly 24 hours after polls closed at 4:30pm. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said the inclusion of referendum and postal ballots delayed finalisation but stressed that there was no scope for manipulation or irregularities.