Bogura administration renames three controversial unions after public hearings

A public row over the original names ends with an official rethink

Three newly created unions in Bogura's Shibganj and Mokamtala Upazilas have been given new names following public hearings.

Deputy Commissioner Toufiqur Rahman announced the new names on Sunday.

Mirbari Union in Shibganj has been renamed Betgari Union, while Shimanta Union in Mokamtala will become Jagannathpur Union and Diganta Union will be renamed Rahbal Union.

The district administrator said the names had been approved at a meeting of and would now be sent to the local government ministry. They will be published in the official gazette after the ministry's approval.

The three unions were created through a government notification issued on Jun 14 under the names Mirbari, Shimanta and Diganta.

The names sparked widespread criticism because Mirbari is the name of the ancestral home of State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam, while Shimanta and Diganta matched the names of his two sons.

The controversy spread to parliament, where Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Shafiqul Islam questioned the naming.

Amid the criticism, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed the district administration to change the names, prompting public hearings on Jun 23 and Jun 25.