Cabinet reshuffle a regular practice: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said periodical cabinet reshuffle in a parliamentary democracy is a normal practice and this may happen any time.

"Bringing changes in a cabinet is very much normal in a parliamentary democracy, it can be done any time," she told journalists after exchange of greetings with people from all walks of life, including judges and foreign diplomats, on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr at her official residence Ganabhaban.

Her remarks came after the much-talked-about change in the portfolio of Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam. 

Ashraf was first made a minister without portfolio and then given the charge of Public Administration Ministry in one week's time, triggering various speculations and discussions across the country and the party as well.

As the Prime Minister's attention was drawn to Ashraf's portfolio change, Hasina said a cabinet reshuffle can be done. "Distribution of portfolios among the cabinet members is the jurisdiction of the head of the government. We may bring such changes from time to time." 

She also mentioned that a required change in the cabinet brings pace in activities and also generates people's interest. "But it's not a big deal at all...this is a regular practice," she said.

Hasina, also the chief of the ruling Awami League, said such cabinet reshuffle always happens in all countries of the world. "So, there's little room for going for adverse discussions about it."

She recalled that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, after the country's independence, when he was the head of the government, the charge of Awami League was given to Kamruzzaman with the status of a minister as Bangabandhu quit the party presidency. "Kamruzzaman was made the party president at that time with a minister's rank, he had run the party," she said.

In 1957, Hasina further said, Bangabandhu had given up the cabinet and become the party general secretary to rebuild it. "It was a unique case in the country, he's the only one who left ministerial job to rebuild the party." 

The Prime Minister said such things happen in different forms in the party. "So, I think there's no scope to write so much about it," she added