A minister of state essentially needs to possess both political maturity as well as administrative skills, along with an eloquent ability to face the press during a dire national crisis or any similar situation.

He or she must not get irked or easily provoked under any given circumstance. Rather than being reactive to public opinions, a minister, most preferably, must know how to digest public wrath or harsh criticisms while peddling through moments of complication, and act as a more pro-active entity.

Call him a super extended arm of the government, if you will.

These are not easy traits, and we are pretty aware of this reality, then again, this is the minimum acumen and sensibility that the people demand of you. After all, they are the tax-payers and owners of the republic.

In the meantime, nobody is ever really perfect, and everybody has their limitations — be it a minister or a plain layman on the street. But the irony is that most of the ministers here take things for granted, and so they tend to go bizarrely wrong and sound stupid all too gleefully.

And interestingly enough, you will see them all the time — as if they are novices and rookies — compelling one person, the HPM, to do all — giving her little room to even take a breath.

Anyway, we cannot discuss much about them so openly, and it’s not decent either to be critical at a time when the nation is about to face a huge national health challenge.

In the meantime, we also realize that our options and choices are too limited to think anything good and formidable — out of the box.

Faiyazul Huq is a contributor to the Dhaka Tribune.