Dhaka, Sep 13 (UNB) - The refusal of Tofail Ahmed and Rashed Khan Menon to join the cabinet in its reshuffle on Thursday is seen as a sign of political discontent simmering in the ruling grand alliance.

Tofail, a member of Awami League Advisory Council, defended his decision saying he was not ready to shoulder a Cabinet responsibility at this stage.

He is one of the veteran AL leaders who felt bypassed when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed her first Cabinet in 2009 after sweeping the general election.

Tofail was the industries minister in Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet during 1996-2001.

He said he is now too busy with coordinating the Gazipur-4 by-polls where Simin Hossain Rimi, the daughter of Bangladesh’s first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, is contesting as an Awami League candidate.

Workers Party President Menon said he declined the offer as the prime minister did not consider the issue politically.

In expanding the Cabinet on Thursday Sheikh Hasina inducted five ministers and two state ministers with a year left in her government’s five-year tenure that ends in October 2013.

The new ministers are: Grand Alliance lawmakers Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Mostafa Faruque Mohammad, AH Mahmood Ali, Whip Mujibul Haque, Hasannul Haq Inu MP. The state ministers are: ruling party lawmakers Abdul Hye and Omar Faruk Chowdhury.

Menon told UNB that there was no political discussion held about his joining the Cabinet.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did not take it politically. She only wanted to reshuffle her cabinet. But it is a political decision, she needs to take it politically,” he added.

Worker Party general secretary Anisur Rahman Mallick told UNB that the party’s Politbureau has taken the decision unanimously it would ld not join the Cabinet.

He said that Awami League did not discuss anything regarding running the country with Workers Party as well as 14-party alliance despite several requests.

Considering the overall context, there was no scope to join the cabinet. But the party will continue its support to the government, Mallick added.

Meanwhile, Jatiya Samajtantric Dal, a key component of Awami League led grand alliance, welcomed the induction of its president Hasanul Haque Inu in Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet.

The party took the decision to join the cabinet at a meting of the party’s standing committee held at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city on Thursday.

After the meeting, Inu said that his party decided to join the Cabinet as part of political reason considering the political responsibilities.

Inu said that it is possible to do many things for the country in 12-14 months.

On November 28, last year Awami League advisory council member Suranjit Sengupta and presidium member Obaidul Quader took oath as ministers. State Minister Hasan Mahmud also took oath as a full minister that day.

With overwhelming victory in the ninth parliamentary polls in 2008, Sheikh Hasina formed the cabinet on January 6, 2009 with 23 ministers and eight state ministers.

Later on January 24, 2009, five ministers and one state minister were included in Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet in the first reshuffle.