London Expat Humayun Kabir Sworn In as State Minister

Humayun Kabir, previously serving as Foreign Affairs Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has formally taken the oath of office as a State Minister. The swearing-in ceremony took place on Friday night at the historic Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban, following the formal induction of newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who administered the oaths to the new cabinet members.

Alongside Kabir’s induction, the cabinet expansion saw several prominent figures assume executive responsibilities. Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partha, and Saching Prue Jerry were sworn in as full Cabinet Ministers, whilst Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln took the oath alongside Kabir as a State Minister. The appointments mark a notable restructuring of the executive team, blending seasoned political figures with technocratic expertise.

Born in the village of Habashpur within the Umarpur Union of Sylhet’s Osmani Nagar upazila, Kabir moved to the United Kingdom during his childhood. Over the years, he built extensive experience in international relations, public policy, and institutional governance. His academic trajectory includes an undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of Sussex, followed by three master’s degrees completed across prestigious British institutions: the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the University of Cambridge, and Leeds Law School.

Kabir’s professional background features extensive public service within British local and central government structures. Early in his career, he worked as a strategic assistant within the Greater London Authority at the Mayor of London’s Office, later serving as a cabinet adviser within the Lewisham Executive Mayor’s Office.

His career eventually advanced to central Whitehall departments. During Boris Johnson’s administration, Kabir worked within the Cabinet Office team at the Prime Minister’s Office. Under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s tenure, he served as a private secretary within the Ministry of Justice, working directly alongside cabinet ministers and special advisers on administrative and policy delivery.

Following the fall of the Awami League administration in the July mass uprising, Kabir returned to Bangladesh in November 2024 to enter mainstream domestic politics. During his years in London, he had been instrumental in shaping the foreign policy outreach, global diplomatic relations, and external engagement strategies of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

On 22 October 2025, Kabir was appointed Joint Secretary General (International Affairs) of the BNP. Prior to his formal induction into the council of ministers, he held the rank of State Minister while advising Prime Minister Tarique Rahman across multiple portfolios, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. His formal elevation to the government bench places an internationally experienced policy practitioner directly at the heart of Bangladesh’s statecraft.