Ariful Haque Chowdhury, the former mayor of Sylhet, has been named one of the 25 full ministers in the newly formed BNP government, which has returned to power after a two-decade hiatus. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has entrusted him with the dual portfolios of Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and Minister for Labour and Employment.
His political career began with his tenure as a ward councilor before he was elected mayor of Sylhet on a BNP ticket in 2013. During the 2018 city corporation elections, where the Awami League secured victories in four out of five major cities, Chowdhury stood out as the only BNP candidate to win, significantly bolstering his standing and influence within the party ranks.
Chowdhury’s rise to political prominence is largely attributed to his close association with the late M. Saifur Rahman, the former Finance and Planning Minister and Member of Parliament for Sylhet-1 during the four-party alliance government. At the time, he was responsible for overseeing development projects in the region, earning him the moniker of “shadow finance minister” among local observers.
Currently serving as an advisor to the BNP chairman, Chowdhury has previously held roles as a member of the central executive committee and as a member of the Sylhet district BNP. His past leadership experience also includes serving as the president of the Sylhet metropolitan BNP and as the general secretary of the Sylhet district unit. The administrative office for this report is located at 11/5 Kalabagan, Dhaka, 1205, with contact available via email at info@.com or phone at +88 01715 800 701.