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Published : 19 Jun 2026, 11:33 PM
Amid criticism of a proposal to name a school in Bogura’s Shibganj after State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam, the state minister claims that he had sent a semi-official demand letter (DO letter) before the proposal was made so that the school would not be named after him.
The school authorities had proposed that the name of Shibganj Pilot Girls High School be changed to “Shibganj Mir Shahe Alam Pilot Girls High School”.
In a letter sent to the chairman of the Rajshahi Education Board and the Bogura deputy commissioner on Jun 9, the Secondary and Higher Education Division (Private Secondary Branch-1) [SHED] of the Ministry of Education directed them to conduct a necessary investigation and provide opinions on the name change proposal.
The name change proposal came to the fore amid discussions and debates over the naming of four new unions in the Bogura-2 constituency, the one held by State Minister Alam.
Alam says he had sent a semi-official letter to the secretary of the SHED on Jun 1 objecting to the name change.
He told bdnews24.com on Friday that since taking office, different individuals have been sending proposals to name various educational institutions after him under their own initiative and for the purpose of fulfilling their personal interests, which he claims to find “unwelcome and undesirable”.
"It is more appropriate to keep the long-standing tradition, identity and uniqueness of the educational institution intact," he said.
In the semi-official demand letter, he said that he has been working to spread education in Shibganj-Mokamtala for a long time through personal initiatives such as donating land, purchasing land with his own money, bearing establishment expenses, and providing overall patronage.
The state minister claimed that several educational institutions have been established or developed at different times from 1997 to 2023 with his direct assistance.
The state minister also gave a list of these institutions. These include Mirbari Government Primary School (1997), Betgari Mirbari Government Orphanage (2004), Betgari Mir Shahe Alam Girls High School (2001), Betgari Mir Shahe Alam Technical School and BM College (2004), Tiayel Mir Laboni Govt. Primary School (2012), Betgari Mir Shahe Alam Fisheries and Agricultural Technology Institute (2013), Betgari Mir Mahatab-Shahe Alam Women's Dakhil Madrasa (2023), Mokamtala Mir Shahe Alam-Chattar Talukder College (2023), Kichak Mir Shahe Alam College (2023) and Betgari Mir Shahe Alam Veterinary Institute (2025).
In the last section of his letter, the state minister said that outside these institutions, no proposal to name any educational institution after him or his family members should be accepted or approved. At the same time, he also emphasised the importance of preserving the previous names and identities of educational institutions.
The letter also says copies of the letter would be sent to the Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, Rajshahi; the Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board, Dhaka, and the National University Registrar.
When asked about the state minister's semi-official letter, SHED Secretary Abdul Khalek told bdnews24.com: "It is Friday. I am out at the moment. I cannot speak on the matter if I don't go into the office. But since you're calling, if sir wants it cancelled, it can be cancelled. What's the problem?
"If someone proposes a name change, it can be sent in. And if they don't want it, I'll cancel it. I'll go to the office tomorrow, God Willing. I'll be able to give you the 'correct news' after looking into the matter. And if a proposal in the name of the honourable minister came in, but he said not to do it, that's fine; I'll cancel it. That's not a problem."
Shibganj Upazila, which is part of the Bogura-2 constituency, has been split into a new Upazila called Mokamtala. At the same time, four new unions were formed. The names of the four unions are Mirbari, Shimanto, Diganta, and Swarnagram.
Immediately after these names were published in the official gazette, it sparked debate in the area. A large section of local residents claim that the name Mirbari is related to the ancestral home of the state minister, and the names Shimanto and Diganta are the names of two of his children. Alam’s elder son is named Mir Shakrul Alam Shimanto, while his younger son is Mir Saqlain Alam Diganta.
The matter quickly sparked a political firestorm. It was also discussed in parliament. However, it was not noted during the discussion that one of the state minister's nieces is named “Swarnali”, similar to the newly named Swarnagram Union.
Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Shafiqul Islam raised a question on the matter in parliament, asking how such names could be approved when, according to law, a union cannot be named after a person.
In response, State Minister Alam claimed they had not been named after his children. He alleges they were named based on local realities and administrative verification. In the case of the Shimanti Union, he argued that the area was named such because of the border.
Similarly, he explained that the name Diganta, Bangla for “horizon”, was also decided in light of geographical realities.
PM Orders Renaming of Unions
Amid the ongoing backlash, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has stepped in and ordered that the names of the two unions under discussion be changed.
Bogura Deputy Commissioner Toufikur Rahman said that the prime minister called him on Friday and gave him the order.
He said, “As per the prime minister's instructions, we have launched the necessary proceedings to change the names of the two unions. In determining the new names, the opinions of locals, the history and traditions of the area and the geographical identity of the region will be prioritised. A public hearing will be organised to this end."
The district administration said that after the new names are finalised, they will be published in the form of a gazette, according to the existing rules.
