UNB: A week after being stripped off the portfolio of LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry, Awami League secretary general Syed Ashraful Islam has been made Public Administration Minister. The Cabinet Division on Thursday issued a gazette notification signed by cabinet secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan to this end. The Prime Minister has reallocated the portfolio to Ashraf with immediate effect exercising her authority bestowed under the article 3 (IV) of the Rules of Business 1996. Earlier on July 9, Ashraf was removed from the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry and made a minister without portfolio following the Prime Minister’s displeasure over his absence in an Ecnec meeting. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain then replaced Syed Ashraf. Amid speculations that Ashraf may turn inactive in politics and go to London for a long period, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina summoned him to her official residence Ganobhaban on Monday and convinced him to call off his London tour, Awami League sources said. Following the meeting with the Prime Minister, there had been a rumour for a while that Ashraf would be given a bigger responsibility than what he had performed earlier. Finally, he has been made the minister to look after Public Administration Ministry, a portfolio Hasina kept to herself so long. Another reason, according to another source, behind giving Ashraf the new portfolio is the discontent among party the rank and file over his removal from the LGRD ministry since he is the party secretary general also an honest and trusted politician. Meanwhile, Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday confirmed that there will be no change in the post of Awami League general secretary as Ashraf will remain there as he is. “Party general secretary is a very important post…there’ll be no change in it,” he told reporters at his secretariat office. Earlier on Tuesday, Minister Sheikh Hasina expanded her cabinet inducting three new faces and elevating two junior ministers to full ministers. With the inclusion of thee new faces, Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet now turned into 52-member one comprising 32 ministers, 18 state ministers and two deputy ministers.
