1 ministry, 3-member ministerial team

Three ministers—one foreign minister and two state ministers—will run the Foreign Ministry for the first time, following the appointment of Humayun Kabir as the new State Minister for Foreign Affairs in the latest cabinet reshuffle.

Kabir, who previously served as Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s adviser on foreign affairs, took oath at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban on Friday evening.

He has been appointed as a technocrat state minister under Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman. State Minister Shama Obaed Islam will continue in her post, meaning the ministry will now have one foreign minister and two state ministers.

Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani said there would be no administrative complications arising from having two state ministers in the same ministry.

“There is no problem if there are two state ministers in one ministry,” he told reporters.
The government formally distributed the portfolios of the new ministers and state ministers through a notification issued on Friday night.

Before joining the cabinet, Humayun Kabir served as the prime minister’s adviser on foreign affairs. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, he also handled responsibilities related to the ministries of Disaster Management and Relief and Civil Aviation and Tourism in his advisory role.

Kabir has extensive experience in international relations and diplomacy and has long been involved in BNP’s international affairs activities. During his tenure as the prime minister’s adviser, he worked on foreign policy and various international issues.

His experience in diplomacy and foreign policy is seen as a key reason behind his appointment to the Foreign Ministry.