Two of the old guard made ministers

At the fag end of the government's third year in power, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday expanded her cabinet by inducting into it two party stalwarts, Suranjit Sengupta and Obaidul Quader, as full ministers.
The status of state minister for environment and forest Hasan Mahmud has also been upgraded to that of a minister.
The Cabinet Division is likely to distribute the new ministers' portfolios today.
Meanwhile, ruling Awami League (AL) sources said Suranjit might get the parliamentary affairs ministry while Obaidul could head the information ministry. No controversial or poorly performing minister has been dropped from the cabinet.
President Zillur Rahman administered the oath of office to the new ministers at Bangabhaban at 8:20pm yesterday in the presence of the premier, Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam and some cabinet members and top bureaucrats. Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan conducted the ceremony.
In her instant reaction after the ceremony, Sheikh Hasina said she hoped the fresh inclusion in the cabinet would strengthen her hands. She also expressed satisfaction over the performance of her cabinet members.
"I can tell you that each of the cabinet members has been discharging his or her duties sincerely," she said.
She acknowledged that there were many aspirants in the party for cabinet positions but noted that she could not afford to make the cabinet huge. "But we are thinking of bringing in new faces through brief reshuffles in the cabinet. Today's move was a part of that," she added.
On upgrading Hasan Mahmud's status, she said climate change was a very important issue over which Bangladesh has been playing an important role. "I can't go everywhere. The Durban summit is coming up which he [Hasan] will attend. That is why we promoted him."
A member of the AL advisory council, Suranjit was, till his appointment as minister, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry while presidium member of the ruling party Obaidul Quader headed the parliamentary standing committee on the information ministry.
After the AL's landslide victory in the 2008 parliamentary election, Hasina formed her cabinet with 31 members -- 23 ministers and eight state ministers. On January 24, 2009, she brought in six new faces as state ministers. On July 31, she inducted six more fresh faces -- a minister and five state ministers -- in the council of ministers and reshuffled ten portfolios.
This triggered huge commotion in and outside the party as Hasina picked many young and inexperienced people in her cabinet, thus keeping the veterans aside. Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Abdul Jalil, Suranjit Sengupta and Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury were among the deprived.
On top of that, the performance of some cabinet members drew huge flak from many central AL leaders as well as the parliamentary standing committees. Various quarters have also been demanding the removal of ministers who have become unpopular for their controversial role or poor performance.
Despite the outcry, though, senior AL leaders were passed over as Hasina expanded and reshuffled her cabinet twice before the latest one. Many AL leaders have said Hasina should have brought in changes in the cabinet to inject dynamism in governance and speed up development.
However, a senior AL leader told The Daily Star last night that the inclusion of Suranjit and Obaidul would have a positive impact on the cabinet as the new ministers had vast experience behind them.
He said the government should take in more senior and experienced leaders in the cabinet to fulfil its electoral pledges and implement development projects.
PROFILES
Suranjit Sengupta became the youngest parliamentarian in the 1970 national election of Pakistan as a candidate of the National Awami party (NAP). He was also a member of the 1972 constitution draft committee although he did not sign it. Suranjit, a freedom fighter, joined Awami League in the early 1990s.
Obaidul Quader has been in AL politics since he was studying at Noakhali College. Freedom fighter Obaidul was made the president of Bangladesh Chhatra League while he was in prison after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. He served as the state minister for youth and sports during AL tenure in 1996-2001.
Although he was elected as MP several times, Hasan Mahmud was never made a member of the cabinet. During 1996-2001, he was the political and parliamentary affairs adviser to then premier Sheikh Hasina.