Local people unaware of any public hearings, ‘proposers’ Jubo Dal leaders

Following controversies over the naming of four newly declared unions in Bogura district, the administration claims that the names were finalised based on local residents’ feedback through public hearings. However, visits to the locations specified in administrative documents for these hearings revealed a completely different picture.

Many local residents stated they had never heard of any such public hearings taking place. Furthermore, two of the individuals identified as the proposers of the new union names are leaders of the Jubo Dal, the youth wing of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

According to a gazette notification signed by the Bogura deputy commissioner (DC) on 11 June, the administrative structures of five unions in Shibganj Upazila and eight unions in Mokamtala Upazila were reorganised. In this restructuring, the newly formed union in Shibganj Upazila was named ‘Mirbari Union’. On the other hand, the three newly declared unions in the newly formed Mokamtala Upazila were named ‘Simanta Union’, ‘Diganta Union’, and ‘Swarnagram Union’.

Allegations have arisen that ‘Mirbari Union’ in Shibganj Upazila was named after ‘Mirbari’, the ancestral residence of Mir Shahe Alam, the State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, and Member of Parliament for the Bogura-2 (Shibganj) constituency.

Meanwhile, two newly formed unions in Mokamtala Upazila—Simanta Union and Diganta Union—were allegedly named after his two sons, Mir Shakrul Alam Simanta and Mir Saqline Alam Diganta, respectively.

The matter has also drawn criticism in Parliament. Last Monday, Opposition Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shafiqul Islam Masud raised a question regarding this in parliament. Following this, State Minister Shahe Alam offered a personal explanation.

He told parliament that the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and the deputy commissioner finalised the names after thorough verification and public hearings.

He argued that since the Syedpur Union lies on the border (Bengali word for border is simanta) of Gabtali and Sonatala upazilas, its border location inspired the name ‘Simanta’ Union. Another union, located near Gaibandha, is very far off (diganta or horizon), which is why it was named ‘Diganta’.

Noting that the names ‘Simanta’ and ‘Diganta’ exist in various parts of the country, Shahe Alam remarked, “Uncannily, it happens to match the names of my children. My children’s names are Mir Simanta and Mir Diganta. If I had any ulterior intention, I would have asked the deputy commissioner to name them ‘Mir Simanta’ or ‘Mir Diganta’. But there is no ‘Mir’ before these names.”

The MPs from the ruling party banged their desks in support of the state minister at that moment.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, a local government expert and Secretary of Citizens for Good Governance (SHUJAN), pointed out that according to Section 11(2) Sub-section (1) of the Local Government (Upazila Parishad) Act, 2009, a union cannot be named after any individual.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, “The fact that a state minister’s ancestral home and his two sons’ names being used to name new unions has reached the parliament is highly disappointing and unsightly. The state minister claimed in parliament that the names miraculously matched his sons’ names, and the treasury bench MPs cheered and encouraged him by banging on tables—this is even more embarrassing.”

“There have been past instances where influential government figures named public institutions after their families. We have failed to learn from the past,” he observed.

Shibganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ziaur Rahman stated that the initiative to reorganise the administrative structure of the two upazilas and form four new unions was taken after receiving a DO (Demi-Official) letter from state minister Mir Shahe Alam.

Before finalising the names, a committee headed by Upazila Election Officer Md. Sakhawat Hossain was formed to conduct public hearings and gather local opinions, he said.

Md. Sakhawat Hossain, the head of the public hearing committee, told Prothom Alo that during a public hearing at Mirbari Government Primary School in Betgari village (the state minister’s village) at 1:00 PM on 19 May, an individual named Shafiqul Islam proposed naming the new union ‘Mirbari’. On the same day at 10:30 AM, another public hearing was held at Daridah in Maydanhata Union, where a person named Bimal Kumar Roy proposed the name ‘Swarnagram’ Union.

He further said that separate public hearings were held on 20 May at Habibpur School and College in Syedpur Union, and Bhoria High School in Deuli Union. Two individuals, Belal Hossain and Shahinur Islam, proposed the names of ‘Simanta’ and ‘Diganta’ unions.

However, when asked for photographs or documents relating to the public hearings, Committee Chairman Sakhawat Hossain was unable to provide any.

Bogura deputy commissioner Md. Toufikur Rahman had previously told Prothom Alo that the naming proposals originated from the upazila administration, and the district administration had no role in the matter.

The upazila administration claims that ‘Diganta’ Union was formed based on local feedback during a public hearing organised at Bhoria High School in Deuli Union on 20 May. However, upon visiting Bhoria village in Mokamtala Upazila around 11:30 AM on Wednesday and speaking with residents, it was revealed that they knew nothing about a public hearing prior to the union’s formation.

Nasir Uddin, a bricklayer and resident of Bhoria village, said, “If such a public hearing had occurred, someone in the village would definitely have known. To my knowledge, no one was invited to any public hearing before the new union was formed. However, after the union was established, there was a victory procession and sweets were distributed on the Bhoria High School grounds.”

Sajib Miah, an employee at a private company, echoed this statement, saying that someone in the village would have known if a hearing had actually taken place.

Afroza Begum, who runs a grocery shop next to the Bhoria High School grounds, stated that she would have known if a meeting had been held with the locals regarding the naming of the union, but no such meeting caught her eye.

However, Shah Alam, the head teacher of Bhoria High School, claimed that on 20 May, some local people asked for the key to a classroom, citing a public hearing. Upazila administration officials were also present with them, though he did not know what was discussed inside.

According to the upazila administration, the name ‘Diganta Union’ was proposed by Shahinur Rahman of Bhoria-Biharpur village. Upon inquiry in the village, it was found that Shahinur Rahman is the President of the Deuli Union Jubo Dal in Shibganj Upazila. He works as a teacher in the technical section of Moslemganj High School in Kalai Upazila, Joypurhat.

When contacted, Shahinur Rahman said, “Around 20 to 25 party leaders and activists were present in a classroom during the public hearing on 20 May. There, I proposed naming the new union formed by breaking up the Deuli Union as ‘Diganta’. It is a coincidence that the new union’s name matches with the name of State Minister Mir Shahe Alam’s son.”

Upazila administration records note that ‘Simanta’ Union was named following a public hearing held at the Habibpur School and College grounds in Syedpur Union on 20 May.

Around 10:30 AM on Wednesday, conversations with local residents at Boriyarhat Bazar, adjacent to Habibpur School and College, revealed that none of them were aware of such a public hearing.

Requesting anonymity, several shopkeepers in the market mentioned that if a public hearing had taken place, market goers would have known. However, nobody knew of any public hearing regarding the new union.

Rahmat Ali, a local resident, remarked, “The union will be named after the minister’s son—it doesn’t matter whether a public hearing takes place or not. And even if a hearing did take place, nobody has the courage to oppose naming the union after the minister’s son.”

Shajahan Ali, the Principal of Habibpur School and College, said the Upazila Election Officer sent a letter regarding the public hearing on 17 May, and the hearing took place on the college grounds on 20 May.

The proposer of the name ‘Simanta Union’ is Belal Hossain from Kukibajitpur village. He is the President of Syedpur Union Jubo Dal and a local UP member.

He told Prothom Alo that apart from party leaders and activists, people from various professions were present at the hearing. Names like Jagannathpur, Hazirbazar, and Kheruapara were proposed there. Since the area borders Govindaganj and Sonatala upazilas, he proposed the name ‘Simanta’.

The upazila administration claims that the new union was named ‘Mirbari’ based on a public hearing held at Mirbari Government Primary School in Betgari village of Shibganj Upazila on 19 May. The state minister’s residence is in the same village, but no one there agreed to speak on the record.

Mahbubur Rahman, the head teacher of Mirbari Government Primary School, said, “A public hearing was held on the school grounds on 19 May. However, I do not know what was discussed there.”

Shafiqul Islam, the proposer of ‘Mirbari Union’, is a resident of Betgari Chanpara village. He claims he does not hold any official position in any political party.

Over the phone, Shafiqul Islam told Prothom Alo, “It wasn’t at Mirbari Government Primary School; rather, a few of us, including myself, were summoned to the Shibganj Upazila Parishad a few days ago to give our opinions on naming the new union. Mirbari is a traditional political family in this area. For a long time, chairmen of Atmula Union have been elected from this house. The Mir family has contributed significantly to the development of this area. For this reason, the proposal was made to form the new union under the name Mirbari.”

According to the upazila administration, Maydanhata Union was divided to form a new union named ‘Swarnagram’ based on a public hearing held at the Daridah Momena Bakkor Krishi Diploma College, Bogura, grounds on 19 May. The proposer of this name is Bimal Kumar Roy, the head teacher of Daridah Girls’ High School.

Rezaul Islam, the Principal of Daridah Momena Bakkor Krishi Diploma College, is a member of the Shibganj Upazila Education Development Committee, which was formed through the initiative of State Minister Mir Shahe Alam.

He told Prothom Alo that a public hearing took place on 19 May on the college grounds in the presence of 200–250 people. There, Bimal Kumar Roy, the head teacher of Daridah Girls’ High School, proposed the formation of ‘Swarnagram’ Union.

Allegations have surfaced that the new union in Mokamtala Upazila was named ‘Swarnagram’ after State Minister Mir Shahe Alam’s niece, ‘Swarnali’.

Regarding this, teacher Bimal Kumar Roy told Prothom Alo over the phone, “A few of us frequently hang out at the office of a closed voluntary organisation in Daridah Bazar. When the topic of naming the new union came up there, I proposed naming it Swarnagram. That was not a public hearing.”

He added that he was impressed by the various activities of the Swarnagram Foundation in the area, which is why he verbally proposed naming the new union after the organisation.

Requesting anonymity, a school teacher from the Daridah area of Maydanhata Union in Mokamtala Upazila said that Daridah is an old river port. Apart from the old market and port, there are eight to ten educational institutions here. Because of this, local residents demanded that the new union formed by breaking up Maydanhata Union be named ‘Daridah’.

Abu Zafar Mondal, the currently suspended Chairman of Maydanhata Union Parishad, said, “There is no village or mouza named ‘Swarnagram’. No place bears the name Swarnagram. Yet, without holding a public hearing, the new union was named Swarnagram according to their own whims. The residents demanded that the new union be named Daridah, but that was ignored.”