Minister of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and Minister of Labour and Employment, Ariful Haque Chowdhury. File photo

SYLHET, Feb 19, 2026 (BSS) - Ariful Haque Chowdhury has said his responsibilities have increased significantly after being elected at the 13th National Parliamentary election and taking oath as a cabinet minister in the newly formed government.

Ariful, who began his political career at the age of 20, has risen through the ranks of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), holding various key positions over the years. He has previously served as a ward commissioner and was elected mayor of Sylhet City Corporation twice before becoming a Member of Parliament.

In the national election held on February 12, Ariful won the Sylhet-4 constituency with 188,346 votes under the BNP’s sheaf of paddy symbol. His closest rival, Md. Joynal Abedin of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, secured 69,975 votes with the Daripalla symbol.

Following his victory, Ariful took oath on February 17 as Minister of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and Minister of Labour and Employment in the cabinet formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

He was first elected as commissioner of Ward No. 18 in the Sylhet City Corporation election in 2003. In 2013, he defeated then mayor Badruddin Ahmed Kamran in a closely watched contest, marking a significant political milestone. He was re-elected mayor in 2018, gaining widespread popularity for his development initiatives.

During his tenure as mayor, Ariful oversaw major infrastructural improvements in Sylhet, including road expansion and the recovery of canals and water bodies that had long been encroached upon. Despite political challenges and imprisonment following the One-Eleven political changeover, he re-established himself as a prominent political figure.

Expressing gratitude to voters, Ariful told BSS, “People love me. Their love is my strength. I am grateful to Almighty Allah. I do not have the power to repay the people’s debt as they have elected me as an MP through their immense support.”

He added that becoming a minister has increased his responsibilities, particularly as a representative of expatriate-dominated Sylhet. “I have to think about the happiness, sorrow, problems and possibilities of expatriates across the country. I seek everyone’s prayers and cooperation so that I can properly fulfill the responsibility entrusted to me,” he said.