On February 17, 2026, a new 50-member cabinet led by Tarique Rahman was sworn in in a historic political turnaround in Bangladesh. The cabinet includes 25 full ministers and 24 state ministers, which signals the return of BNP to state power after two decades. The constitution, past record of members and one of the skill-based distributions of this cabinet, formed in the face of the difficult challenge of state reforms and fulfilling public aspirations, is presented below.
Although educational qualifications have often been viewed as secondary in the political history of Bangladesh, a touch of professionalism has been observed in this cabinet. In particular, the appointment of Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury as the Minister of Finance and Planning and Dr. Khalilur Rahman as the Technocrat Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has brought to the fore the importance of educational and professional qualifications. However, in many cases, giving priority to long-standing political sacrifices or loyalty, people without specialized knowledge in the relevant subject have been given important portfolios. To build a science-minded and modern state, it is essential for ministers to have not only political wisdom, but also deep theoretical and practical knowledge of the relevant sector, which is still waiting to be proven in the case of many members of this cabinet.
In terms of age division, an attempt has been made to create a mix of experienced elders and energetic youngsters in this cabinet. On the one hand, there are senior politicians like Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir or Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, while on the other hand, representatives of the younger generation like Jonayed Saki and Nurul Haque Noor have been placed as state ministers. This balance can utilize the experience of the elders in making policy decisions and the dynamism of the youth in implementing them. However, the concern is that there is a question in the public mind about how much direct decision-making power the youth will have at the higher levels of policy-making or whether they will only be in a rhetorical position.
The appointment of ministers and advisors under the technocrat quota is very important in the current world order, especially when specialized knowledge is needed to resolve state complexities. The inclusion of technocrat ministers like Dr. Khalilur Rahman and Mohammad Aminur Rashid in this cabinet is a positive sign. In addition, the appointment of 10 advisors, including economist Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir and experts like former secretary Ismail Zabiullah, could help increase administrative dynamism. But past experience shows that technocrats often cannot work independently under pressure from political ministers, which could question the actual success of this initiative.
The return of ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon to the Ministry of Education has sparked a special discussion. Although his tough role in the anti-counterfeiting campaign has been praised in the past, it remains to be seen how much modern perspective he adopts in addressing the challenges of radical reform of the education system and ensuring research-based higher education in the present era.
The appointment of Fakir Mahbub Anam to the Science and Technology and ICT sector indicates that the government is interested in building a modern technology-based administration. But in this era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, not only infrastructural development, but also revolutionary steps to increase budget allocation for innovation and research and prevent brain drain will be the benchmark for the success of this ministry.
An attempt has been made to balance the cabinet in terms of regional representation or district and division-based numbers. The inclusion of leaders like Amir Khasru from Chittagong, Khandaker Abdul Muktadir from Sylhet and Mizanur Rahman Minu from Rajshahi raises hopes of reducing regional development disparities. But due to the centralization of power or the 'Dhaka-centric' policy-making process in Bangladeshi politics, ministers from marginalized regions often fail to alleviate the suffering of the people in their own areas. The hallmark of a people-friendly cabinet is to resolve local problems through decentralization of power, which is a major test for this cabinet.
Ariful Haque Chowdhury's inclusion in the Ministry of Labor and Employment and Expatriates' Welfare promises to increase employment abroad and protect the rights of the domestic labor market. On the other hand, Aminur Rashid's role in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food is directly linked to the common people's rice and pulses. If these ministries fail to regulate the market or cannot ensure fair prices for farmers, public trust in the government will quickly decline. Their main goal will be to increase agricultural production and maintain self-sufficiency in food through research and innovation.
The appointment of Afroza Khanam Rita and State Minister Farzana Sharmin Putul as the Minister of Women and Child Affairs and Social Welfare highlights the aspect of gender balance and social security in the cabinet. However, the relatively low number of women members in the cabinet can be seen as a shortcoming. To ensure human rights and social justice, these ministries should not be limited to distributing grants alone, but should also bring revolutionary legal reforms to empower women and protect children.
In conclusion, this cabinet, formed on February 17, 2026, stands at the crossroads of great expectations and crises. Judging by the criteria for identifying an effective cabinet in various ways discussed above in this article, it can be seen that although there is a combination of experience here, the test of foresight and integrity is still pending. If the activities of every section and member of the cabinet go against the public interest or the old record of corruption returns, it will be unfortunate for the nation. The historic responsibility of this cabinet will be to provide a scientific, transparent and accountable governance system. Only if it can earn the trust of the people and ensure sustainable development, will it be possible to consider this cabinet as successful in this 'postmortem' report.
The writer is President of the International Anti-Drug Organization - Freedom International Anti-Alcohol
