Guide2womenleaders.com
Female Ministers of
Bangladesh/ Gana Praja Tantri
Bangla Desh (Limited Female Suffrage
1935 as part of India, full suffrage as part of Pakistan 1947/56) Part of
Pakistan 1947-71 as the province of East Pakistan in 1971 independence was declared
followed by war with Pakistan. Full independence 1973
Also see Bangladesh Parties
1972-73
Minister of State for Health and Social
Welfare
Begum Nurjahan Murshed
1973-75 Minister of Social Affairs
and Family Planning
She was a
1973-75 Minister of Education
Begum Badrunnessa Ahmed
She lived
1975-76 Minister of Land
Administration and Land Reforms Benita Roy
1976-78 Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation
1978-81 Minister of Women's Affairs
Dr. Aminah Rahman
1979-81 Deputy Minister of Health
and Population Control
1981-84 Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Begum
Qamrunnahar Nahar Zafar
1980-82 Minister of State for
Women's Affairs Begum Taslima Abed
1981-84 Deputy Minister of Health
and Population Control Begum Mabud Fatema Kabi
1982-85 Advisor-in-charge of the
Ministry of Social Welfare and Women's Affairs Dr. Shafia Khatun
1985-86 Deputy Minister of Health
Mamata Wahab
Sister of President Ershad, military dictator 1986-91.
1986-87 Minister of Social Welfare
and Women's Affairs Rabia Bhuiyan
She was Bangladesh’ first female Barrister and Senior Lawyer at the Supreme
Court. MP 1986-88 and from 1996.
1988-91 Minister of Women's Affairs
Seyda Razia Faiz
1991-96 Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia [-ur-Rahman]
(20.1.-30.3.)
1991 Minister of Information Energy
and Resources
1991-96 Minister of Defence, Establishment, Cabinet Diversion and Planning
1996-2001 Leader of the Opposition
2001-06 Prime Minister (9.10-29.10)
2001-06 Minister of Cabinet Division, Establishment, Defence, Armed Forces
Division (AFD), Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, Primary and Mass Education Division, Power, Energy
and Mineral Resources
Stepped down in October 2006 to prepare for elections later in the year, but the
military took power and in September 2007 she was arrested on charges of
curruption.
Mother of two sons. (b. 1945- )
1991-96 Minister of State of Social
Welfare and Women's Affairs Begum Sarwari Rahman
1993-96 Minister of Women's Affairs
She was Vice-President of the National Executive Committee of the National Party
1981-85 and Joint Party Secretary in 1985-91. There was no minister in her resort.
1996 Minister of Labour, Manpower,
Social Welfare, Women and Children’s Affairs N. N. in the interim government
30.3-24.6
1996-2001 Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina Wajed (24.6-15.7)
1996-2001 Minister of Armed Forces Division, Cabinet Division, Defence and
Establishment, Information, Planning, Jute, Textiles, Health and Family Welfare
1996-97 Minister of Environment and Forests, Minister of State of Women’s
Affairs
1996-99 Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Land, Labour and Manpower
1997-2001 Minister of Special Affairs
1998 Minister of Environment and Forests
1998-99 Minister of State with independent charge of Women’s Affairs
1999-2001 Minister of Shipping and Planning
Leader of the Awami League since 1981 and Leader of the Opposition 1991-96.
Arrested by the military government in
2007 on charges of corruption,
extortion and murder.
Mother of 2 sons (b. 1945- )
1996-2001 Minister of Agriculture,
Food, Disaster Management and Relief Begum Matia Chowdhury
Organizing Secretary of the Awami League 1971-72 and 1979 Agricultural Secretary
of the party. She was arrested several times under the regimes of Ziaur Rahman
and Ershad. (b. 1942-)
1996-98 Minister of Environment and Forests Syeda Begum Sajeda Chowdhury
Secretary General of the Awami League 1977-93.
1996-97 Minister of State of
Primary- and Mass Education Division
1997-99 Deputy Minister of Primary- and Mass Education
1999 Minister of State of Primary- and Mass Education Division
1999-2001 Minister of State for Women and Child Affairs Prof. Zinatunessa
Taulker
1997-98 Minister of State with independent
charge of Women’s Affairs Begum Sarwati Rahman
2001 Member of the Council of
Advisors in charge of the Ministries of Women and Children's Affairs, Social
Welfare, Labour and Employment and Cultural Affairs Begum Rokia Afzal
Rahman
She was member of the caretaker government whose duty it was to prepare the
country for the elections.
2001-06 Minister of Women and
Children Khurshid Jahan Haque
She is the eldest sister of the Begum Khaleda Zia, and one of the only two
female members – apart from the Premier - of the cabinet which had 27
Ministers, 28 Ministers of State and 4 Deputy Ministers.
She lived
(1939-2006)
2001-06 Minister of State for Cultural Affairs Selima Rahman
2006 Advisor-in-charge of
the Ministries of Industries, Science, Information and Communication Technology,
Textiles and Jute Sultana Kamal
Member of the Cabinet of 12 Advisors which took over in November to prepare for
the elections in January 2007. She resigned after a few weeks in protest against
the political developments.
2006-07 Advisor-in-charge of the Ministries of Women and Children Affairs, Primary
and Mass Education and Social Welfare Yasmeen Murshed
Also known as Yasmin.
2006-07 Advisor-in-charge of the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Labour and Employment, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Professor Sufia Rahman
2007-08 Advisor-in-charge of the Ministries of Education, Textiles and Jute, Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs Geeti Ara Safiya Chowdhury
Last update 08.01.08