Who are the new advisers of the interim govt?

The interim government is set to appoint four new advisers and one special assistant to the chief adviser.

The new advisers are likely to be Dr Md Sayedur Rahman, businessman Sheikh Bashir Uddin, filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and special assistant to the chief adviser Mahfuj Alam, according to a Prothom Alo report.

Among them, Bashir has received an invitation to take oath today, sources familiar with the matter confirmed The Business Standard on condition of anonymity.

Apart from the new advisers, the government is also likely to appoint former inspector general of police Khuda Baksh Chowdhury as the new special assistant to the chief adviser.

Dr Md Sayedur Rahman was earlier appointed as the vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on 27 August. Sayedur previously worked as the chairman of the department of Pharmacology of BSMMU. Prior to this, he served as the registrar of the university.

Sheikh Bashir Uddin is the managing director of Akij-Bashir Group, a leading industrial conglomerate of the country. He is the son of industrialist Sheikh Akij Uddin.

Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is a film director, producer and screenwriter. He became famous for his films 'Third Person Singular Number', 'Television', and 'No Bed of Roses' which were critically acclaimed at home and abroad.

Mahfuj Alam was one of the coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement which led the student-people mass uprising in July-August. He currently holds the position of special assistant to the chief adviser.

Khuda Baksh Chowdhury served as the inspector general of police from November 2006 to January 2007. He also served as a senior police adviser in UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) from June 2008 to April 2010.

The new advisers are set to take oath at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban at around 7pm today (10 November).

President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath, in presence of senior government officials and dignitaries, according to government sources.

ATM Kowser Hossain, the director (road) of the Department of Government Transport, told The Business Standard that the Cabinet Division has requisitioned five vehicles.

The vehicles will be sent to the new advisers' homes to pick them up, and then they will be brought to Bangabhaban for the oath-taking ceremony, said sources.

At present, the government, which is now in its fourth month, led by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has 21 advisers, including Yunus. Most of the advisers are currently executing the responsibilities of multiple ministries.

Currently, three advisers are responsible for three ministries each, while 10 advisers oversee two ministries each.

The interim government took charge on 8 August, three days after the Awami League government was ousted in a nationwide mass upsurge led by students.