Farhad made PM's special assistant

Shah Ali Farhad of the Centre for Research and Information or CRI has been appointed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's special assistant.  He has been appointed on contract with the status of deputy secretary, the public administration ministry said in a notice issued yesterday, reports bdnews24.com.

He will be in this position subject to the tenure of the prime minister or her satisfaction, it added. A barrister by training, Farhad is a senior analyst at the CRI, the ruling Awami League's research wing.

He is also a member of the party's international affairs sub-committee. In a Facebook post, he thanked Hasina for "giving me this prestigious opportunity".

"The responsibility is immense. I seek all of your prayers and assistance to honestly and successfully deliver on the trust she has bestowed on me," he wrote.