Govt mulls cabinet reshuffle ahead of national polls
News Desk :
While the constitution does not require an electoral government, the ruling administration aims to restructure its cabinet during the election period to create an atmosphere focused on the polls.
The goal is to form a government with representation from parliamentary parties.
Currently, under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the government mulls emulating the all-party government model from 2013, sources close to the government have revealed.
In the 2018 national elections, all registered political parties in the country, including the BNP and its allies, participated in the elections under the government led by Sheikh Hasina. As a result, there was little need for substantial alterations in the government’s structure, reports Dhaka Tribune.
However, a considerable segment of the country’s political parties, including the BNP, boycotted the 2014 elections, leading to the formation of an all-party government with nearly all parliamentary parties.
A similar all-party government akin to 2013 is now under consideration due to the apprehension of a substantial boycott of the impending 12th parliamentary elections.
There is a possibility that this government will materialize even before the schedule’s announcement, though Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader suggests that a decision will follow after the announcement of the election schedule.
However, a quarter argues that whether there is a cabinet reshuffle or an inclusion of non-government party members in the cabinet, it is not going to entail changes in the government system.
The addition of representatives from other parties would signify a continuity of the existing government.
Since the constitution lacks provisions for an election-time or interim government, any alterations in the government during the election period would still have the regular government function.
It is constitutionally mandated for the government to provide full assistance to the Election Commission throughout the election process, and this obligation remains unaffected by any changes in the government structure.
As per constitutional provisions, the next parliamentary elections will take place with the current government in power.
Even if the parliament is dissolved before the elections, it would not disrupt the government’s continuity.
According to sources at the Parliament Secretariat, apart from the ruling Awami League, parliament currently comprises lawmakers from the Jatiya Party (the primary opposition party in parliament), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Workers Party, Jatiya Party (JaPa), Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Bilakpa Dhara Bangladesh, and Gono Forum.
Among these parties, the Jatiya Party displays some division about the election. While the opposition leader, Raushan Ershad, has announced participation in the parliamentary elections, many within the party, including party Chairman GM Quader, remain undecided.
Some of the members assert they are not going to become stepping stones for others to gain power.
Both state ministers were from the Jatiya Party. At the time, of the earlier 51-member cabinet, 16 ministers and 14 state ministers, including three technocrat quota ministers, accepted their resignations while the rest retained their positions.
Consequently, there were 29 cabinet members during the elections, including the newly sworn in ministers.
Concurrently, there were adjustments in the role of advisers to the Prime Minister, with five of the seven advisers resigning.
Additionally, Barrister Shafique Ahmed, a technocrat minister, Dilip Barua from the Communist Party, Anwar Hossain Manju, chairman of the Jatiya Party, and Ziauddin Ahmed from Jatiya Party, were appointed as advisers.
At present, the government mulls significant cabinet changes, akin to the 2013 elections, given the altered circumstances.
In this scenario, several current cabinet members, including technocrat quota minister Yafes Osman, Mustafa Jabbar, and State Minister Shamsul Alam, may submit their resignations.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader suggests that decisions concerning the government during the election period will follow the schedule’s unveiling.
He asserted that the government structure during the election remains consistent with previous elections. The prerogative for adjusting the cabinet’s length or status lies with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and it is not a matter for discussion at present.
In accordance with constitutional provisions, the twelfth national parliament must be elected within 90 days preceding the conclusion of the current parliament’s term.
This 90-day countdown will commence on November 1. The Election Commission has given a signal that it might unveil the polling date in the first week of January 2024, with the full schedule expected to be announced in the second week of November.
