25 to become ministers, 24 state ministers

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is preparing to form a cabinet of approximately 49 members under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, who has been elected as the leader of the BNP parliamentary party and will serve as the new Prime Minister. 

This cabinet will include 25 full ministers and 24 state ministers, according to information from the Cabinet Division shared on Tuesday afternoon. 

Many of those selected have already begun receiving calls inviting them to the oath-taking ceremony.

The swearing-in for the ministers and state ministers is scheduled to take place in the afternoon at the South Plaza of the National Parliament, with President Md. Shahabuddin administering the oaths. 

Among the full ministers, two positions are allocated to technocrats. One state minister will also come from the technocrat quota.

The likely full ministers include Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikram), Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, Mizanur Rahman Minu, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Zahir Uddin Swapan, Afroza Khanam Rita, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Asadul Habib Dulu, Md. Asaduzzaman, Zakaria Taher, Dipen Dewan, ANM Ehsanul Haque Milan, Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain, Fakir Mahbub Anam, and Sheikh Rabiul Alam. 

The technocrat ministers are Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid and Khalilur Rahman.

The prospective state ministers include M Rashiduzzaman Millat, Anindya Islam Amit, Shariful Alam, Shama Obaid Islam, Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Kaiser Kamal, Farhad Hossain Azad, Aminul Haque (technocrat), Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin, Habibur Rashid, Rajib Ahsan, Abdul Bari, Mir Shahe Alam, Junaid Abdur Rahim Saki, Ishraq Hossain, Farzana Sharmin, Sheikh Faridul Islam, Nurul Haque Nur, Yaser Khan Chowdhury, M Iqbal Hossain, MA Muhith, Ahmed Sohel Manjur, Bobby Hajjaj, and Ali Newaz Mahmud Khayyam.

Tarique Rahman, having been chosen as the parliamentary leader, assumes the role of Prime Minister. 

In line with tradition, he will oversee the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Defense, and the armed forces. 

Specific details on the allocation of portfolios to the ministers and state ministers have not yet been released.

In a recent Reuters interview, President Md. Shahabuddin indicated he would step down before completing his term. 

Discussions are underway across the country regarding his potential successor, though the BNP, as the elected majority party, has not yet provided any official indication on this matter. 

The total cabinet size, including the Prime Minister, is expected to reach around 50 members.