Why two state ministers at Foreign Ministry

Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry now has two state ministers: Shama Obaed Islam, MP from Faridpur-2, and Humayun Kabir, who previously served as the Prime Minister’s foreign affairs adviser.

Humayun Kabir was given the new responsibility in the latest cabinet reshuffle, during which several new faces were inducted into the government. Shama Obaed Islam, meanwhile, has remained a state minister at the Foreign Ministry since the BNP-led government came to power.

Why two state ministers?

Having two state ministers in a single ministry is relatively rare in Bangladesh. The appointment has therefore drawn attention, particularly because the Foreign Ministry handles a wide range of sensitive and strategically important issues.

Analysts say the arrangement may reflect the growing scope of the Foreign Ministry’s responsibilities. These include bilateral relations, multilateral diplomacy, the United Nations, regional cooperation, the interests of expatriate Bangladeshis, international trade and investment, the Rohingya crisis, border issues and political relations with different countries.

Experts believe the latest reshuffle has created an opportunity to distribute these responsibilities between the two state ministers.

One state minister could be assigned bilateral relations and political affairs, while the other could oversee multilateral diplomacy, regional cooperation or specific strategic issues.

The division of responsibilities, however, would need to be determined through an administrative order or the ministry’s internal work-distribution mechanism.

Former diplomat Humayun Kabir told Asia Post, “Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is now the president of the UN General Assembly. He will be busy during the UNGA sessions. I think two state ministers have been appointed to help manage the Foreign Ministry in the absence of the foreign minister.”

Replying to a query, Kabir said, “The responsibilities of the Foreign Ministry have expanded in the meantime. It will be possible to divide the responsibilities between the two state ministers.”

“Having previously worked as the Foreign Affairs Adviser, I am now simply being given a formal responsibility,” he added.

What do the law and Constitution say?

Article 56 of the Constitution provides for the appointment of the Prime Minister, ministers and state ministers by the President.

However, there is no specific constitutional provision limiting the number of ministers or state ministers who may be assigned to a particular ministry.

Sources in the Cabinet Division said more than one state minister may be assigned to a ministry to make its operations more effective and to handle an expanded workload. They said there is no legal complication or inconsistency in having more than one state minister in the same ministry.

Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani told Asia Post that there is no legal complication or other impediment to having more than one state minister in the same ministry.

Roles of Shama Obaed and Humayun Kabir

Shama Obaed Islam was appointed state minister for the Foreign Ministry at the beginning of the BNP-led government.

Over the past several months, she has attended a number of meetings with foreign diplomats and represented the government’s positions on various diplomatic issues. She has also played an active role in recent discussions concerning Bangladesh-India relations.

Humayun Kabir, meanwhile, previously served as the Prime Minister’s foreign affairs adviser and played an important role in shaping the government’s foreign policy. He held meetings with Indian and several European diplomats and remained active in the government’s diplomatic engagements.

In July, he held a meeting with five European ambassadors and senior diplomats.

What changes may come under the new arrangement?

Following the August 21 reshuffle, Humayun Kabir became a state minister at the Foreign Ministry, while Shama Obaed Islam retained her position in the same ministry.

As a result, the ministry now has two state ministers.

Analysts say having two state ministers does not necessarily mean that they will have identical responsibilities or overlapping areas of work.

Under the government’s work-distribution mechanism, specific responsibilities could be allocated between the two state ministers.

The key issue now is which areas of foreign policy will be assigned to each of them.

Importance of the Foreign Ministry likely to grow

Diplomatic sources say the Foreign Ministry is facing numerous major challenges, many of which are likely to grow in importance. These include relations with India, the United States, China, the European Union, Russia and Middle Eastern countries.

At the same time, Rohingya repatriation, border issues, foreign trade and investment, migration and UN-centred diplomacy have also emerged as major priorities.

In this context, the presence of two state ministers could bring greater dynamism to the ministry’s work.

Experts, however, say the effective distribution of responsibilities between the two state ministers will be crucial to making the new arrangement successful.