The new cabinet will take oath at the South Plaza of the National Parliament building on Tuesday afternoon, February 17. Discussions are ongoing regarding the size of the new cabinet and who will be included.
In Bangladesh, cabinet size has varied under different systems of governance, including presidential, parliamentary, caretaker, and interim governments. Cabinets with as many as 62 members have been formed in the past. However, considering Bangladesh’s current socio-economic and financial situation, political science teachers and public administration experts hold differing views on the appropriate size of the cabinet.
Most experts and analysts believe the cabinet should have around 40 members, while some consider 50 to be ideal. The Public Administration Reform Commission has recommended limiting the cabinet to 35 members.
The 13th national parliamentary elections were held on Thursday, February 12, alongside a referendum. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a two-thirds majority and is set to form the government. In Bangladesh’s 300-seat parliament, a party needs at least 151 seats to form a single-party government. With more than 200 seats, BNP has achieved an absolute majority.
The gazette of the newly elected members of parliament was published on Friday, February 13. On Tuesday morning, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin will administer the oath to the new MPs. Later, at 4:00 pm, President Mohammed Sahabuddin will administer the oath to the new cabinet members.
Regarding cabinet size, Dr Nurul Amin Bepari, former chairman of the Department of Political Science at Dhaka University, told Jago News, “A medium-sized cabinet is ideal. A very small cabinet may face difficulties, while a very large one becomes cumbersome.”
He added, “From a numerical perspective, keeping the cabinet around 40 members — including ministers, state ministers, and deputy ministers — is sufficient. Additional members can be added gradually if necessary.”
Professor Dr Mohammad Sohrab Hossain of the Political Science Department at Dhaka University told Jago News, “Considering our country’s socio-economic and financial realities, forming a medium-sized cabinet is appropriate. Making it too large or too small would be unwise.”
He added, “The BNP leadership is expected to form a balanced cabinet that includes all key members. Ideally, there should be 20 to 25 full ministers in the new cabinet, with additional state ministers appointed later. Our parliamentary democracy follows the British model, where cabinet sizes are typically around 17, 20, or 22 members. India follows a similar approach.”
Sohrab Hossain further said, “They (BNP) will certainly consider current realities when forming the cabinet. Having remained out of power for a long time, they understand the challenges of governance. I hope this maturity will be reflected in the new cabinet.”
Another Dhaka University professor, Dr Sabbir Ahmed, told Jago News, “If each ministry has one minister and one state minister, that would be workable. However, crucial ministries such as Finance, Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Commerce must be led by highly competent individuals — essentially the best available talent.”
He added, “Considering the current environment, the cabinet should not exceed 50 members. That would be a reasonable standard. Ministerial privileges, especially luxury vehicles worth Tk 3–4 crore, should also be reduced. Compared with India, our spending appears excessive. Some austerity in ministerial perks is necessary.”
Former secretary and public administration expert AKM Abdul Awal Majumdar told Jago News, “Ideally, the cabinet should remain around 40 members. Any larger number makes it difficult to manage. For example, when Madam Khaleda Zia formed the cabinet in 1991, there were only 10 full ministers, while the rest were state ministers.”
He added, “Deputy ministers are largely unnecessary. In India and Pakistan, deputy ministers are rarely seen; only state ministers typically exist.”
Former bureaucrat and public administration expert Mohammad Firoz Mia said, “Initially, the cabinet should not be too large. Around 30–40 members would be ideal at the beginning, with adjustments made later if necessary. A very large cabinet at the outset is difficult to manage.”
He added, “Special attention should be given to appointments in the Finance, Commerce, and Home Affairs ministries to ensure competent leadership. The civil administration is currently in disarray, so skilled individuals are needed to restore order. The Public Administration Ministry may initially remain under the Prime Minister, supported by a state minister.”
Proposals from the Public Administration Reform Commission
The Public Administration Reform Commission, formed during the interim government, submitted its report to Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on February 8 last year. The commission recommended reducing the total number of ministers, state ministers, and deputy ministers to 35.
Currently, there are 43 ministries and 61 divisions. The commission proposed consolidating these into 25 ministries and 40 divisions.
According to the report, over the past 53 years the number of government ministries has fluctuated between 15 and 36, often expanding unreasonably due to political considerations. Several ministries have overlapping responsibilities. For example, women’s welfare projects exist under both the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, while microcredit programmes are operated by multiple ministries. As a result, government expenditure has increased while administrative efficiency has declined.
The commission proposed retaining 23 ministers, including two technocrat ministers, along with 12 state ministers and deputy ministers.
It also recommended merging several ministries, including combining the Ministries of Industries, Commerce, and Jute and Textiles into a single Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and merging the Ministries of Road Transport and Bridges and Railways into a Ministry of Communications.
Similarly, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education would be unified under a single Ministry of Education with three divisions: Primary Education, Madrasa and Technical Education, and Secondary and Higher Education.
Size of Past Cabinets
Under the constitution, the Prime Minister determines the number of ministers, state ministers, and deputy ministers.
In the last Awami League government, the cabinet had 44 members. Between 2019 and 2024, it had 49 members; from 2014 to 2019, 59 members; and from 2009 to 2014, 62 members — the largest cabinet in Bangladesh’s history.
Earlier cabinets included 50 members during 1991–1996, 49 members during 1996–2001, and 60 members during 2001–2006.