After the controversy over the naming of the four newly announced unions in Bogra began, the administration says that the names have been finalized with the opinions of local residents through public hearings. However, a different picture was found when visiting the places where public hearings were said to be held in the administration’s documents. Many local residents say that they have not heard of any such public hearings. Two of the people being talked about as proposers of the names of the new unions are Jubo Dal leaders.
On June 11, the administrative structure of 5 unions of Shibganj Upazila and 8 unions of Mokamtala Upazila was restructured in a notification signed by the Bogra Deputy Commissioner. In this, the new union formed in Shibganj Upazila has been named ‘Mirbari Union’. On the other hand, the three new unions formed in the newly declared Mokamtala Upazila have been named ‘Simanta Union’, ‘Diganta Union’ and ‘Swarnagram Union’.
It has been alleged that the new union in Shibganj upazila has been named ‘Mirbari’ after the ancestral residence of Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and Member of Parliament for Bogra-2 (Shibganj) constituency. On the other hand, the two newly formed unions in Mokamtala upazila have been named ‘Simanto Union’ and ‘Diganto Union’ after his two sons, Mir Shakrul Alam Simanto and Mir Sakline Alam Diganto.
The issue has also been criticized in the National Assembly. Last Monday, Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shafiqul Islam Masud raised a question about this in the National Assembly. Later, State Minister Shahe Alam gave a personal explanation on this issue. In the parliament, he said that the Upazila Executive Officer and the Deputy Commissioner have reviewed and selected the new names after conducting a public hearing. Saidpur Union is on the border of Gabtoli and Sonatala Upazilas. Since it is on the border, it has been named ‘Simanta’ Union. Another union near Gaibandha, because it is very remote, has been named ‘Diganta’. Stating that the names ‘Simanta and Diganta’ are found in different parts of the country, Shahe Alam said, ‘Mirakeli has indeed matched the names of my children. Our children’s names are Mir Simanta, Mir Diganta. If I had any intention, I would have told the Deputy Commissioner, ‘Name them Mir Simanta, otherwise Mir Diganta’. But there is no Mir before the name.’ At this time, the government party MPs supported the State Minister by thumping the table.
State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam gave a personal apology in Parliament. June 15Photo: From Sangsad TV video
According to Sub-section (1) of Section 11 (2) of the Local Government (Union Council) Act, 2009, a union cannot be named after any person, said local government expert and Citizens for Good Governance (Sujon) editor Badiul Alam Majumder. He told Prothom Alo, “The issue of forming a new union after the name of a state minister of the government’s own house and two sons has reached the National Parliament is very disappointing and eye-catching. The state minister made a statement in the Parliament that the name of the new union miraculously matched the names of his two sons, and upon hearing this, the government party members of parliament applauded him by thumping the table, which is even more embarrassing. In the past, there have been examples of naming government institutions after the family names of influential people in the government. We have not learned from the past.”Read more
Three unions formed in Bogra in the name of State Minister Shahe Alam’s two sons and ancestral house
What the administration is saying
Shibganj Upazila Executive Officer Ziaur Rahman said that after receiving the DO letter (semi-official letter) from State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, initiatives were taken to restructure the administrative structure of the two upazilas and form four new unions. Before naming, a committee headed by Upazila Election Officer Md. Sakhawat Hossain was formed to hold a public hearing to receive the opinions of the locals.
The chairman of the committee formed for the public hearing, Md. Sakhawat Hossain, told Prothom Alo that on May 19 at 1 pm at the Mirbari Government Primary School in Betgari village, the home of the state minister, a person named Shafiqul Islam proposed to name the new union ‘Mirbari’. Apart from this, another public hearing was held at Daridah of Maidanhata Union at 10:30 am on the same day. There, a person named Bimal Kumar Roy proposed to form a ‘Swarnagram’ union. Apart from this, separate public hearings were held at Habibpur School and College of Syedpur Union and Bhoria High School of Deuli Union on May 20. Two persons named Belal Hossain and Shahinur Islam proposed to form ‘Simanta’ and ‘Diganta’ unions. When asked for a picture or any document of the public hearing, the chairman of the committee, Sakhawat Hossain, could not provide the picture or any document of the public hearing.
Bogra Deputy Commissioner Md. Taufiqur Rahman earlier told Prothom Alo that the proposal to name the new union came from the upazila administration. The district administration has nothing to do in this regard.
‘Someone in the village would have known if there had been a public hearing’
The upazila administration has claimed that the ‘Diganta’ union was formed based on the opinions of the locals after organizing a public hearing at Bhoria High School in Deuli Union on May 20. On Wednesday (June 17) at 11:30 am, when talking to the residents of Bhoria village in Mokamtala Upazila, it was learned that they were not aware of the public hearing before the formation of the new union.
Nasir Uddin, a resident and mason of Bhoria village, said, “If such a public hearing was held, someone in the village would have known. But to my knowledge, no one was called to any public hearing before the formation of the new union. However, after the formation of the new union, there was a joyous procession and distribution of sweets at the Bhoria High School grounds.” Sajeeb Mia, an employee of a private company, said, if such a public hearing was held, someone in the village would have known.Read more
The State Minister explained in Parliament that two unions were named after two sons.
Afroza Begum, who runs a grocery store next to the Bhoria High School grounds, said she knew there was a meeting with the locals about the naming of the union, but she had not seen any such meeting.
However, Shah Alam, the headmaster of Bhoria High School, claimed that on May 20, some local people took the key to a room, talking about a public hearing. Upazila administration officials were also with them. It is not known what was discussed there.
According to the upazila administration, Shahinur Rahman of Bhoria-Biharpur village proposed the name Diganta Union. After checking with the village, it was learned that Shahinur Rahman is the president of Deuli Union Jubo Dal of Shibganj upazila. He teaches at the technical branch of Moslemganj High School in Kalai upazila of Joypurhat.
When asked, Shahinur Rahman said, “On May 20, 20-25 party leaders and activists were present at a public hearing in a room at the school. There, I proposed to name the new union formed by breaking up the Deuli union as Digant. Since the name of State Minister Mir Shahe Alam’s son is Digant, it coincidentally matched the name of the new union.”
‘No one dares to oppose’
The upazila administration’s documents mention the naming of the union as ‘Simanta’ based on a public hearing held at the Habibpur School and College grounds of Saidpur Union on May 20. Speaking to locals at Bariarhat Bazar adjacent to Habibpur School and College at 10:30 am on Wednesday, it was learned that they were not aware of any such public hearing.
Several shopkeepers in the market, who did not reveal their names, said that the people of the market would have known if there had been a public hearing. But no one is aware of any public hearing on the formation of the new union. A local named Rahmat Ali said, “The union will be named after the minister’s son, it doesn’t matter if there is a public hearing here, it doesn’t matter if there isn’t. And even if there is a public hearing there, no one has the courage to oppose the naming of the union after the minister’s son.”
Habibpur School and College Principal Shajahan Ali said that the Upazila Election Officer had sent a letter on May 17 for a public hearing. A public hearing was held on May 20 at the college grounds.
The proposal to name the union ‘Simanta Union’ was made by Belal Hossain of Kukibajitpur village of the union. He is the president of the Saidpur Union Jubo Dal and a local UP member. He told Prothom Alo that in addition to party leaders and workers, several people from different professions were present at the public hearing. Several names were proposed there, including Jagannathpur, Hazirbazar, and Kheruapara. He proposed the name ‘Simanta’ as it is a border area between Gobindaganj and Sonatala upazilas.
‘The Upazila Council was called’
The upazila administration has claimed that a new union named ‘Mirbari’ was formed on the basis of a public hearing at Mirbari Government Primary School in Betgari village of Shibganj upazila on May 19. The state minister’s house is in the same village. No one there agreed to speak on the matter by revealing his name.
Mahbubur Rahman, headmaster of Mirbari Government Primary School, said, “A public hearing was held on the school grounds on May 19. However, I do not know what was discussed there.”
The proponent of the formation of ‘Mirbari Union’, Shafiqul Islam, is a resident of Betgari Chanpara village. He claims that he is not in any party position. Shafiqul Islam told Prothom Alo on his mobile phone, ‘Mirbari is not in the government primary school; a few days ago, I and a few others were called to the Shibganj Upazila Parishad to take their opinions on the naming of the new union. Mirbari is a traditional political family in this area. For a long time, the chairman of Atmul Union has been elected from this family. The Mir family has contributed a lot to the development of the area. That is why the proposal to form a new union named Mirbari has been made.’
‘That was not a public hearing’
As per the demands of the upazila administration, a new union named ‘Swarnagram’ was formed by breaking Maidanhata Union on the basis of a public hearing held at the Momena Bakkar Agricultural Diploma College grounds in Daridah on May 19. The name was proposed by Bimal Kumar Roy, the headmaster of Daridah Girls’ High School.
Daridah Momena Bakkar, Principal of Agriculture Diploma College, is a member of the Shibganj Upazila Education Development Committee formed at the initiative of State Minister Mir Shahe Alam. He told Prothom Alo that a public hearing was held on May 19 in the college grounds in the presence of 200-250 people. There, Bimal Kumar Roy, Headmaster of Daridah Girls High School, proposed the formation of the ‘Swarnagram’ union.
There have been allegations that the new union named ‘Swarnagram’ in Mokamtala Upazila has been formed in line with the name ‘Swarnali’, the daughter of State Minister Mir Shahe Alam’s brother.
In this regard, teacher Bimal Kumar Roy told Prothom Alo on his mobile phone, “A few of us often hang out at the office of a closed voluntary organization in Daridah Bazar. When the topic of naming a new union came up, we proposed forming a union called Swarnagram. It was not a public hearing.” He said that he was impressed by the various activities of the Swarnagram Foundation in the area. That is why he made a verbal proposal to form a new union in the name of the organization.
A school teacher from Daridah area of Maidanhata union in Mokamtala upazila, who asked not to be named, said, “Dardidah is a very old port. Apart from the old market and port, there are 8-10 educational institutions here. For this reason, the locals were demanding that Maidanhata union be dissolved and the new union be named ‘Dardidah’.”
Maidanhata Union Parishad Chairman Abu Zafar Mandal is currently suspended. In this regard, he said, there is no village named ‘Swarnagram’, no mouza. There is no place named ‘Swarnagram’. However, a new union has been formed under the name of ‘Swarnagram’ without holding a public hearing. The locals demanded that the new union be named after Daridah. But that was not done.
