The Cabinet of Bangladesh (Bengali: বাংলাদেশের মন্ত্রিসভা, Bangladesher Mantrisabha) is the chief executive body in the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The cabinet is the collective decision-making body of the entire government normally under the Office of the Prime Minister, composed of the prime minister and other cabinet ministers. During a caretaker government or interim government, the cabinet is instead composed of the chief adviser and other cabinet advisers. These "advisorial" positions are equivalent to their respective ministerial positions.
Ministers of the government, according to the Constitution of Bangladesh, are selected primarily from the elected members of House of Nation, also known as Jatiya Sangsad. Cabinet ministers are heads of government departments, mostly with the office of the "Minister of [department, e.g. Defence]". The collective co-ordinating function of the cabinet is reinforced by the statutory position that all the ministers jointly hold the same office, and can exercise the same powers.
The cabinet is the ultimate decision-making body of the executive within the parliamentary system of government in traditional constitutional theory of Bangladesh. This interpretation was originally put across in the work of the Bangladesh constitution in 1972. The political and decision-making authority of the cabinet has been gradually increased over the last few decades, with some claiming its role has been usurped by "prime ministerial" (i.e. more "presidential") government.
The cabinet is the executive committee of the Prime Minister's Office, a historic body which has legislative, judicial and executive functions, and whose large membership does include member(s) of the opposition or coalition. Its decisions are generally implemented either under the existing powers of individual government departments, or by the cabinet secretary, the most senior civil servant in Bangladesh.
There shall be a Cabinet for Bangladesh having the Prime Minister at its head and comprising also such other Ministers as the Prime Minister may from time to time designate. The executive power of the Republic shall, in accordance with this Constitution, be exercised by or on the authority of the Prime Minister. The Cabinet shall be collectively responsible to Parliament. All executive actions of the Government shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the President. The President shall by rules specify the manner in which orders and other instruments made in his name shall be attested or authenticated, and the validity of any order or instrument so attested or authenticated shall not be questioned in any court on the ground that it was not duly made or executed. The President shall make rules for the allocation and transaction of the business of the Government.
— Article 55 (1-6): The Cabinet; Part-IV (The Executive), Chapter II: The Prime Minister and the Cabinet, The Constitution of Bangladesh[1]
The most influential part of the executive of the Bangladesh government are the ministries.[2] A ministry headed by a minister or state minister (independent charges) shall be responsible for conducting the business of his ministry/division in the parliament unless otherwise directed by the Prime Minister's Office. The secretary is the administrative head of a ministry or division; and is assisted by an additional secretary, joint secretary, deputy secretary, senior assistant secretary and assistant secretary. A few ministries consist of more than one division.
The following lists the advisers of the interim government:[3][4][5][6][7]