DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday preferred not to downsize the cabinet ahead of the election for the sake of completing the ongoing crucial development projects, reports UNB.
Sheikh Hasina, however, said if the opposition party demands a smaller cabinet then it could be done.
“”I don’t know whether it’s needed (to shrink the cabinet),” she said while addressing a press conference at her official residence Ganobhaban. The press conference was arranged to brief journalists about the outcome of her recent official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The Prime Minister said the existing cabinet is comprised of representatives from all the parties having representation in parliament unlike the previous one which was formed only with members of the ruling Awami League.
Hasina also mentioned that she has already talked to the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and wanted to know about the issue from her.
“I told her we’ll do what you demand…if they want we’ll go for shrinking the cabinet, or else, the cabinet will remain the same,” she said.
Hasina, also the chief of Awami League, said the ongoing development projects will get stalled if the cabinet is downsized during the election.
“We’ve already passed [cleared] a number of projects…there’ll be problems in implementing those projects. I you give more than one ministries to a minister, there’s a doubt whether that minister will be able to do those works,” she told journalists.
Hasina said the government will have to do so many works in the coming three months. “I don’t know whether these works will be hampered or not, there is a problem in this regard.”
The Prime Minister mentioned that she also had discussions with the President about it but she did not elaborate about the outcome of the discussions.
She said she discussed the matter with the leaders of some countries like Australia, New Zealand, Britain and India where the parliamentary form of democracy is followed.
“They don’t change the government during the election. Let’s see what the opposition demands. We’ll do that if they want… or else it will remain the same,” Hasina said.