Minister of Cultural Affairs, Bangladesh

People's Republic of Bangladesh Adviser of Cultural Affairs
বাংলাদেশের সংস্কৃতি বিষয়ক উপদেষ্টা
Government Seal of Bangladesh
Flag of Bangladesh
Incumbent Mostofa Sarwar Farooki since 10 November 2024
Ministry of Cultural Affairs
Style	The Honourable (formal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Type	Cabinet minister
Status	Adviser
Member of	Cabinet Advisory Council
Reports to	Chief Adviser
Seat	Bangladesh Secretariat
Nominator	Chief Adviser of Bangladesh
Appointer	President of Bangladesh on the advice of the chief adviser
Term length	Interim or the chief adviser's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Noor Muhammad Khan
Formation	12 January 1972 (12 January 1972)
Salary	৳245000 (US$2,000) per month (incl. allowances)
Website	www.moca.gov.bd

The minister of cultural affairs of Bangladesh is the minister in charge of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs within the government of Bangladesh. He is also the minister of all departments and agencies under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.^[1]

The importance of preserving and spreading culture was recognised so following Bangladesh's independence in 1971 a separate division was created within the Ministry of Education called Cultural Affairs and Sports Division on 26 May 1972. From then the new Division devoted itself to the promotion of the cultural sector of the country. Later in 1975, the Division was adjoined with Labour and Welfare Ministry. However, in the same year it was returned to the Ministry of Education. Subsequently, in 1978 it separated from the Ministry of Education and became known as the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Sports. Then again in 1979 it was renamed the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Culture and Sports. Then, in 1980 these three sectors were divided into two different ministries: the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Sports & Cultural Affairs.

In 1982, under Hussain Muhammad Ershad's policy of administrative rearrangement, the ministry was converted to Sports & Culture Division and placed under the secretariat of Chief Martial Law Administrator. Next in 1983 it was transferred to president's secretariat. Afterwards in 1984 the Sport & Culture Division was transferred from president's secretariat to the Ministry of Education. In the same year sports related works were separated from Sports & Culture Division and separately made a ministry and named as Ministry of Youth & Sports. And under the Ministry of Education a separate division was made named as Cultural Affairs Division.^[2]

Under the Second Khaleda Cabinet starting in 2001, the ministry operated under the name of Ministry of Cultural Affairs under State Minister Selima Rahman. Then in the subsequent Second Sheikh Hasina Cabinet starting in 2008, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs was run under Minister Abul Kalam Azad who was simultaneously minister for Ministry of Information. Since the Third Sheikh Hasina Cabinet, formed in 2014, the Ministry has been operating as full-fledged Ministry, under Mr. Asaduzzaman Noor, with Md. Nasir Uddin Ahmed as the secretary of the ministry.

Political parties

•   Bangladesh Awami League
•   Bangladesh Nationalist Party
•   Jatiya Party (Ershad)
•   Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal

Other factions

•   Independent

Portrait		Officeholder (birth–death) Constituency	Term of office			Designation	Administration
			From	To	Period
		Noor Mohammod Khan	25 May 1988	3 October 1989	1 year, 131 days	Deputy Minister	Ershad
		Zafar Imam	3 October 1989	23 December 1989	81 days	Minister	Ershad
		Syed Didad Bokt	23 December 1989	6 December 1990	348 days	State Minister	Ershad
		Alamgir M A Kabi	19 December 1990	19 December 1990	0 days	Adviser	Sahabuddin
		Iajuddin Ahmed	19 December 1990	15 March 1991	86 days	Adviser	Sahabuddin
		A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury	27 March 1991	19 September 1991	176 days	Minister	Khaleda I
		Jahanara Begum	19 September 1991	30 March 1996	4 years, 193 days	State Minister	Khaleda I
		Md. Samsul Hoque	3 April 1996	23 June 1996	81 days	Adviser	Habibur
		Obaidul Quader MP for Noakhali-5	23 June 1996	15 July 2001	5 years, 22 days	State Minister	Hasina I
		Rokeya Afzal Rahman	16 July 2001	10 October 2001	86 days	Adviser	Latifur
		Selima Rahman	11 October 2001	29 October 2006	5 years, 18 days	State Minister	Khaleda II
		C. M. Shafi Sami	1 November 2006	12 December 2006	41 days	Adviser	Iajuddin
		Sofiqul Hoque Chowdhury	12 December 2006	11 January 2007	30 days	Adviser	Iajuddin
		Ayub Kadri (1928–2009)	17 January 2007	27 December 2007	344 days	Adviser	Fakhruddin
		Rasheda K. Chowdhury (born 1951)	21 January 2008	6 January 2009	351 days	Adviser	Fakhruddin
		Abul Kalam Azad (born 1947) MP for Jamalpur-3	6 January 2009	21 December 2013	4 years, 349 days	Minister	Hasina II
		Promod Mankin (1939–2016) MP for Mymensingh-1	31 July 2009	14 September 2012	3 years, 45 days	State Minister	Hasina II
		Hasanul Haq Inu (born 1946) MP for Kushtia-2	21 December 2013	12 January 2014	22 days	Minister	Hasina III
		Asaduzzaman Noor (born 1946) MP for Nilphamari-2	13 January 2014	7 January 2019	4 years, 359 days	Minister	Hasina III
		K. M. Khalid (born 1955) MP for Mymensingh-5	7 January 2019	10 January 2024	5 years, 3 days	State Minister	Hasina IV
		Naheed Ezaher Khan (born 1973) MP for Reserved women's seat 27	1 March 2024	6 August 2024	158 days	State Minister	Hasina V
		Asif Nazrul (born 1966)	9 August 2024	11 October 2024	63 days	Adviser	Yunus
		Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (born 1973)	11 October 2024	Incumbent	311 days	Adviser	Yunus