Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman appoints Khalilur Rahman as Foreign Minister

Dhaka (Bangladesh), February 18 (ANI): The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman, has assigned portfolios to the 50 members of his cabinet.
Among them, former national security advisor Khalilur Rahman, from the previous interim government of Muhammad Yunus, has been given the role of foreign minister, while another senior BNP leader, who was previously a member of BNP's international affairs subcommittee, Shama Obaid, has been appointed as State Minister for Foreign Affairs.
After the allocation of the ministerial roles, the government issued an official order announcing that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would take responsibility for three ministries: the Cabinet Division, the Ministry of Defense, and the Armed Forces Division.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was given the responsibility of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, The role of Finance and Planning Minister was assigned to BNP's Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and BNP Joint Secretary General Saluddin Ahmed was given the role of Minister of Home Affairs.
The 2026 Bangladesh general election, held on 12 February 2026, marked a major political shift in the country's history.
After years of upheaval culminating in the 2024 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a decisive victory, capturing over 200 seats in the 300-member Jatiya Sangsad and securing a strong parliamentary majority.
Tarique Rahman, son of former leaders Khaleda Zia and Ziaur Rahman, returned from years in exile to lead the BNP to power and has been sworn in as Prime Minister, ending Hasina's long dominance.
The elections were accompanied by a constitutional referendum and saw increased representation of minority candidates. Voter turnout was relatively high, and Rohana Hettiarachchie, Executive Director of People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) described the polls as competitive and orderly. However, the exclusion of key parties like the Awami League and tensions over reform debates mean significant political challenges remain ahead. (ANI)