State minister explains naming of 2 unions after criticism over similarity to his sons’ names

The naming of three newly created unions in the constituency of Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam came under criticism in Parliament on Monday.

The minister, however, maintained that the names were not chosen to match those of his sons. He argued that one union was named Simanta because it lies on the border of two upazilas, while another was named Diganta because of its remote location.

The state minister offered a personal explanation on the floor of Parliament in response to remarks made by opposition lawmaker Shafiqul Islam during a discussion on a cut motion.

Earlier, Shafiqul Islam told Parliament, “In the area represented by Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, a union has been named ‘Mirbari’ after his Mir lineage. Two other unions have been named after his sons, Diganta and Simanta. The Prime Minister rejected proposals to name institutions after family members, and we welcomed that decision. What the Prime Minister wants should also be what ministers want. During the previous fascist period, a great deal of time was spent correcting names. Now the same culture appears to be returning among us.”

After the Maghrib prayer recess, Mir Shahe Alam addressed the issue through a personal explanation.

He said that Syedpur and Deuli unions in Mokamtala had become excessively large and that the Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Deputy Commissioner had reviewed the matter and conducted public hearings before selecting the names of the newly created unions.

According to the minister, Syedpur Union is located on the boundary between Gabtali and Sonatala upazilas.

“Because it is a border area, it was named Simanta Union. Another union is close to Gaibandha and is located at a considerable distance, so it was named Diganta,” he said.

Noting that the words “Simanta” and “Diganta” are widely used across Bangladesh, Mir Shahe Alam remarked, “By sheer coincidence, they happen to match the names of my children. My sons are named Mir Simanta and Mir Diganta. If that had been my intention, I would have instructed the deputy commissioner to name them ‘Mir Simanta’ or ‘Mir Diganta’. But the word ‘Mir’ does not appear in either name.”

Members of the ruling party responded by thumping their desks in support of the minister.

Continuing his explanations, he said, “Allah has saved me from having the honourable Member of Parliament claim that BGB’s Simanta Bank Limited belongs to me. Fortunately, he did not say that the Simanta Express train running from Khulna to Parbatipur is my train. Nor did he claim that Diganta Tower in Gulshan-1 belongs to me.”

The controversy emerged after the government issued a gazette notification creating four new union parishads in Shibganj and the newly established Mokamtala Upazila of Bogura.

The notification, signed by the Bogura deputy commissioner on 11 June, reorganised the administrative structure of five unions in Shibganj Upazila and eight unions in Mokamtala Upazila. The gazette was published on Sunday, prompting public criticism over the names of three of the newly formed unions.

The new union created in Shibganj Upazila has been named Mirbari Union, while the three unions established in Mokamtala Upazila have been named Simanta Union, Diganta Union, and Swarnagram Union.

Critics have alleged that Mirbari Union was named after the ancestral residence of State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, while Simanta Union and Diganta Union bear the names of his two sons. The minister has denied the allegations, insisting that the names were selected through administrative procedures, public consultations and legal processes rather than personal influence.