Who Nitai Roy Chowdhury: The Only Hindu Minister in Bangladesh’s New BNP Cabinet
Tarique Rehman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s new Prime Minister on Tuesday, February 17, after his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a landslide victory in the 2026 national election. Among the 25 ministers who took their oath of office alongside him, one name drew particular attention — Nitai Roy Chowdhury, the sole Hindu leader in the new cabinet.
Is Nitai Roy Chowdhury?
Nitai Roy Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi politician and lawyer who currently serves as Vice Chairman of the BNP. On Tuesday, he was sworn in as a minister in Rehman’s government. In the 2026 general election, Chowdhury won a seat in the National Parliament from the Magura-2 constituency, defeating a candidate from Jamaat-e-Islami.
A graduate of the University of Dhaka, Chowdhury has had a long and active career in the legal community spanning several decades. While his exact ministerial portfolio has not been officially confirmed, reports suggest he may be assigned the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
The Full Cabinet List
The following leaders were sworn in as ministers in the new BNP-led government: Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Salahuddin Ahmed, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Dr Khalilur Rahman, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad, Mizanur Rahman Minu, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Zahir Uddin Swapon, Amin Ur Rashid, Afroza Khanam Rita, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Asadul Habib Dulu, Md Asaduzzaman, Zakaria Taher, Dipen Dewan, Ehsanul Haque Milan, Sardar Md Sakawat Hossain, Fakir Mahbub Anam, and Sheikh Robiul Alam.