Khaleda Cabinet largest in Bangladesh

Authorities are finding it very difficult to arrange for separate offices, houses and transport for the new 60-member Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

Following her BNP-led alliance's landslide victory in the October 1 general election, Khaleda formed the largest ever council of ministers in the country's history of parliamentary democracy.

With the number of ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers raised to 59 from 42 in the last regime, the government authorities concerned have not yet been able to provide offices, houses, transport and other logistic support to all the new ministers.

They are still busy making fresh arrangements for the additional ministers even a week after they were sworn in. To date, space has not been found for a dozen junior ministers at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Most of the ministers started attending their offices from last Sunday. However, others arrived in their offices on Thursday for the first time, following allocation of portfolios to the newly appointed ministers the same day.

Rearrangement of the existing set up in some ministries to accommodate the new ministers is in progress, but this is unlikely to be completed in the next one month, officials at the Public Works Department (PWD) said.

They, however, explained that it was not possible to make separate sitting arrangements for all the ministers who have not been accommodated since such arrangements also have to be made for their personal staff.

The PWD officials said some of the junior ministers may get offices outside the Secretariat - at the departments or directorate of the ministries concerned.

The foreign, industries, communications and planning ministries are located outside the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The Awami League government had 42 ministers before the end of its tenure, which also created similar problems, though in smaller magnitude. The sitting arrangement for a number of joint secretaries and deputy secretaries was relocated at that time.

The state of housing and transport facilities for ministers is even worse. The government now has only 26 separate houses available for the ministers, while construction of a multi-storeyed building with the capacity to house another 12 ministers is nearing completion.

Yet, 21 others are unlikely to get government houses any time soon. The authorities are planning to rent private houses, but the rent allotted to ministers is not good enough to get a good house.

To cope with the situation, officials indicated, some of the state and deputy ministers might be offered suites at the two hostels for members of parliament.