Humayun Kabir, previously serving as Foreign Affairs Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has formally taken the oath of office as a State Minister in a high-profile cabinet expansion. The formal swearing-in took place on Friday evening at the historic Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban, administered by newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir shortly after his own inaugural induction.
The executive restructuring introduced several senior figures to ministerial office alongside Kabir. Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partha, and Saching Prue Jerry were sworn in as full Cabinet Ministers, while Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln took the oath as a State Minister. The collective appointments represent a deliberate strategic realignment of the governing administration, combining veteran political leadership with specialised technocratic capability.
Hailing originally from the village of Habashpur in Sylhet’s Osmani Nagar upazila, Kabir emigrated to the United Kingdom at an early age. His subsequent career saw him build extensive expertise in international diplomacy, public administration, and strategic policy development. Kabir holds an undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of Sussex, alongside three master’s degrees secured from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the University of Cambridge, and Leeds Law School.
Kabir’s career includes extensive administrative service across local and central government tiers in Britain. He began his public sector career at the Greater London Authority, working as a strategic assistant within the Mayor of London’s Office, before progressing to serve as a cabinet adviser within the Lewisham Executive Mayor’s Office.
His responsibilities subsequently expanded into central government departments in Whitehall. During Boris Johnson’s premiership, Kabir served within the Cabinet Office team at 10 Downing Street. Under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, he operated as a private secretary within the Ministry of Justice, collaborating directly with cabinet ministers and senior policy advisers on legislative and operational matters.
Returning to Bangladesh in November 2024 following the political transition triggered by the July uprising, Kabir entered mainstream domestic governance. During his years based in London, he served as a primary architect of international outreach and diplomatic engagements for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
On 22 October 2025, Kabir was formally named BNP Joint Secretary General for International Affairs. Before joining the council of ministers, he held the rank of State Minister while advising Prime Minister Tarique Rahman across foreign affairs, disaster management and relief, and civil aviation and tourism. His induction into the ministerial ranks places an internationally seasoned policy practitioner directly at the centre of executive governance.
