Dhaka: 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 9 July, 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, 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.

After formation of the current government in 2009, Hasina made her party’s general secretary Ashraf as LGRD minister as per tradition as ruling party’s (AL or BNP’s) general secretary or secretary general had been given the charge of the ministry since restoration of democracy in the country in 1991.  

He continued to serve as LGRD minister for his second term after Sheikh Hasina formed the government for the third term after the January-5 election in 2014. 

Eldest son of slain national leader Syed Nazrul Islam, a close political aide of Bangabandhu and the acting President of the Mujibnagar government formed during the Liberation War, Asharf went to London for settlement after his father’s assassination in 1975, but he was active there with AL politics.

In 1996, he returned home and elected lawmaker from Kishoreganj Sadar constituency with AL ticket in the 7th parliament elections.

After the formation of her government, Sheikh Hasina inducted Asharf in her cabinet in 1996 as a junior minister and gave him the charge of civil aviation and tourism ministry.