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 Parliament, Bangladesh Heads of State and 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  leader of women renaissance of Bengal and one of the major organisers of the War of Liberation, Member of the Parliament of Pakistan in 1954 and 1970 and elected to the new Bangladeshi Parliament in 1973, and lived (1924-2003).

1973-75 Minister of Education Begum Badrunnessa Ahmed
She lived (1903-80)

1975-76 Minister of Land Administration and Land Reforms Rajmata Benita Roy
1976-78 Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation
Mother of the Buddhist tribal leader, Raja Tridiv of Chakma in the Chittagong Hills, who sided with Pakistan during the liberation war and has stayed there since.

1978-81 Minister of Women's Affairs Dr. Aminah Rahman

1979-81 Deputy Minister of Health and Population Control Begum Qamrunnahar Nahar Zafar
1981-84 Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives

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 
1991 Minister of Information Energy and Resources
1991-96 Minister of Defence, Establishment, Cabinet Division and Planning
2001-06 Prime Minister
2001-06 Minister of Cabinet Division, Defence, Armed Forces Division, Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, Establishment, Primary and Mass Education Division, Energy, Power and Mineral Resources
Vice-Chairperson 1983-84 and Chairperson of the Bangladesh National Party  since 1984. She was detained 7 times during the struggle against the Dictator Ershad, Opposition Leader 1996-2001 and again from 2009. Her sons, Tareque Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko were arrested on corruption charges in March and April 2007, and In September the same year she was herself charged with corruption and the military supported care-taker government tried to pressure her into exile. The charges against her was dropped in 2008. (b. 1945- )

1991-96 Minister of State of Social Welfare and Women's Affairs Begum Sarwari Rahman
1993-96 Minister of Women's Affairs 

1991-96 Minister of State for Cultural Affairs Prof. Jahan Ara Begum  
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. (b. 1942-)

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 Cabinet Division, Defence,  Armed Forces Division, 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
2009- Prime Minister and Minister of Cabinet Division, Defence and Armed Forces Division, Establishment, Energy and Power, Religious Affairs, Public Works
2009-13 and 2014- Minister of Women's Affairs
2013- Minister of Home Affairs and Law
2014- Minister of Foreign Affairs
Her father and most of her family was killed during a military coup in 1975 when she and her sister were abroard. Returned to Bangladesh in 1981, President of the Awami Leauge from 1981, Opposition Leader 1986-87, 1991-96 and 2001-06. In 1983, she formed the 15-party alliance to launch a movement to oust General Ershad from power and was in and out of prison throughout the 1980s and was under house arrest a few times. Her party, along with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Begum  Khaleda Zia, was instrumental in the movement against the military rule. 2007 she was arrested on corruption and murder charges, but was allowed to go to USA for medical treatment in 2007 though the military supported care-taker government tried to pressure her into exile. Returned in November 2008 to lead her party in the election campaign, which her party won overwhelmingly. Married to the nuclear scientist Dr M. A. Wazed Miah and mother a son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and a daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, who both lives in the USA. (b. 1945- )

1996-2001 Minister of Agriculture, Food, Disaster Management and Relief Begum Matia Chowdhury
2009- Minister of Agriculture
2009-14 Minister of and Foods (Third in Cabinet)
2013-14 Minister of Fisheries and Livestock
Also known as Motia, she was 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 and still a leading member of the party. (b. 1942-)

1996-98 Minister of Environment and Forests Syeda Begum Sajeda Chowdhury
Secretary General of the Awami League 1977-93. (b. 1935-)

1996-97 Minister of State of Primary- and Mass Education Division Zinatunessa Taulker
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

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
Eldest sister of 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

2008-09 Advisor-in-charge of the Ministries of Primary and Mass Education, Women and Children Affairs and Cultural Affairs Rasheda K. Choudhury

2009-13 Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Dipu Moni
Former Secretary for Women’s Affairs of the Bangladesh Awami League. Married to Tawfique Nawaz, Senior Advocates of the Supreme Court and mother of 1 son.

2009-12 Minister of Home Affairs Sahara Khatun
2012-13 Minister of Post and Telecommunication
Former Secretary for Law Affairs of the Awami League. (b. 1943-).

2009-14 Minister of State of Labour and Employment Begum Munnuzan Sufian
Also known as Munnujan Sufian. Widow of Abu Sufian, a labour leader who was assasinated. Awami Leauge MP in 1996. The Cabinet has got 5 female Ministers, 28 male Ministers, 6 male Advisors with rank of Minister and 6 male Ministers of State.

2012-13 Minister of State for Women and Children Affairs Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury
Speaker of the Parliament from 2013.

2013 Minister of State for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze

2013-14 Minister of Health and Family Welfare Begum Rawshan Ershad
Former Chair and Parliamentary Leader of Jatiya Dal, the party of her ex-husband, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who took power in a coup d'etat in 1982 and was President until 1990. Oppsition Leader from 2014. (b. 1943-)

2013 Minister of State for Women and Children Affairs Salma Islam
2013-14 Minister of Women and Children Affairs

2014- Minister of State of Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki

2014 Minister of State of Primary and Mass Education Ismat Ara Sadek
2014- Minister of State of Public Administration

Last update 31.01.14