Tarique Rahman Appoints Hindu and Buddhist Ministers in Bangladesh Cabinet

Dhaka: In a significant move to include minority representation in his government, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has inducted two leaders from minority communities into his cabinet. Nitai Roy Chowdhury, a Hindu leader, and Dipen Diwan, from the Buddhist Chakma community, were sworn in as cabinet ministers on Tuesday. Both won their parliamentary seats on BNP tickets and are considered senior party leaders.

Hindus constitute roughly 8% of Bangladesh’s 180 million population, making them the country’s largest religious minority.

Nitai Roy Chowdhury: Culture Minister

77-year-old Nitai Roy Chowdhury, a lawyer by profession, represents West Magura and defeated a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate by a significant margin. A member of BNP’s Standing Committee, Chowdhury has previously held portfolios in youth and sports. As a senior advisor and strategist, he was widely expected to receive a prominent position following BNP’s victory. He has now been appointed Minister of Culture.

Dipen Diwan: Hill District Affairs Minister

Dipen Diwan, 62, hails from the Buddhist-majority Chakma ethnic group in the Rangamati hill district. He narrowly defeated an independent candidate to win his seat. A lawyer by training, Diwan has been appointed Minister of Chittagong Hill District Affairs, responsible for governance and development in Bangladesh’s hilly regions.

Minority Representation in the Elections

According to the Bangladesh Election Commission, 79 minority candidates contested the general elections held on 12 February. Of these, 10 were women. A total of 22 political parties nominated 67 candidates, while 12 ran as independents. The BNP fielded six minority candidates, and Jamaat-e-Islami nominated a Hindu candidate for the first time in its history.

Other parties with notable minority participation included the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), which fielded 17 candidates; the Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (BSD) with eight; the Bangladesh Minority Jatiya Party (BMJP) with eight; and the Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASOD) with seven minority candidates.

This inclusive step by Tarique Rahman’s cabinet is seen as a strategic move to ensure minority representation while consolidating support for the BNP across diverse communities.