The first meeting of the new cabinet yesterday approved a draft speech to be delivered by President Abdul Hamid in the first session of the 10th parliament starting on January 29.
Members of the cabinet including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, however, put forward some points and suggested their inclusion in the draft speech, said Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan at a press briefing shortly after the meeting.
The premier chaired the meeting held in the conference room of the secretariat’s cabinet attended by all ministers, state ministers, her advisers, and secretaries.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed did not attend the meeting as he had left for Delhi on a two-day official visit.
The meeting of the cabinet started at 10:15am and continued until 12.30pm.
All secretaries of the ministries and divisions attended the meeting as it’s a tradition that all secretaries have to join the cabinet meeting in which the president’s speech is included in the cabinet agenda.
Later, the prime minister met the cabinet members separately and gave them some directions.
The cabinet secretary said the president would talk about overall political and financial condition, trial of war criminals, Vision- 2021, digital Bangladesh, social safety net, employment, foreign relation and future plans in the first session of the new parliament.
The president’s speech also includes a call to the opposition to hold dialogue to reach a consensus on the modality of conducting a free and fair polls in future, he points out.
According to the section 73(2) of the constitution and rules of business, the cabinet division prepares the draft speech of the president to be delivered in parliament.
After the prime minister’s nod the draft speech will be sent to president. The cabinet secretary refused to disclose the full context of the draft as it is a confidential document.
Earlier on Sunday, the Awami League formed a 49-member cabinet led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by removing the majority of ministers from the previous cabinet for “incompetence” and “controversy”.
Half of the new cabinet is comprised of first-time ministers.
11 ministers and two state ministers from the last cabinet and 24 freshers were inducted into the new ministry.