Minister Rejects Nepotism Claims Regarding Union Council Names

The State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, Mir Shahe Alam, has addressed criticism in the National Parliament concerning the naming of several newly established union parishads in the Bogura district. The minister maintained that the names ‘Simanta’ and ‘Diganta’ were selected purely based on the geographical locations of the territories rather than after his children. He stated that the naming process was finalized following administrative verifications and formal public hearings.

Parliamentary Allegations and Debates

The issue was brought forward on Monday, 15 June 2026, during a parliamentary discussion on the reduction proposals for the Ministry of Local Government. Opposition Member of Parliament, Shafiqul Islam, raised the matter and alleged that a newly formed union in the minister’s electoral constituency had been named ‘Mirbari’ after his lineage. Furthermore, Islam claimed that two other unions had been deliberately named after the State Minister’s two sons, whose names are Diganta and Simanta.

During his speech in the parliament, Islam pointed out that the Prime Minister had previously rejected proposals to name state institutions after family members, a stance that was widely welcomed by the public. He expressed concern that after spending considerable time in the past correcting the culture of name alterations, a similar trend of familial naming was re-emerging in local administration.

Following the recess for Maghrib prayers, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam floor-called for a personal explanation to reject the allegations. He explained that the existing Syedpur and Deuli unions in the Mokamtala region had been excessively large in terms of geographic area for a long time. The administrative restructuring was initiated through a formal process involving verification by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer and the district administration, alongside public hearings to collect the views of local citizens.

Geographical Context of the Names

According to the explanation provided by Mir Shahe Alam, the newly formed union carved out of the original Syedpur Union is situated right on the border of the Gabtoli and Sonatala upazilas. Due to this specific geographical boundary condition, the territory was officially named ‘Simanta Union’ (Border Union). On the other hand, another area situated near the Gaibandha district boundary and located at a considerable distance was named ‘Diganta Union’ (Horizon Union) based on the consensus reached during public hearings.

Mir Shahe Alam stated that numerous institutions and installations across various parts of the country are named Simanta and Diganta. He remarked that the alignment with his children’s names was purely coincidental. He argued that if his true intention had been to immortalize his sons through these administrative units, he would have directed the local authorities to prefix the names with ‘Mir’. However, the family title ‘Mir’ is entirely absent from the official names of these newly formed unions.

Injecting a note of humour into his parliamentary defence, the State Minister remarked that it was fortunate the opposition MP did not claim that the Border Guard Bangladesh’s ‘Shimanto Bank Limited’ belonged to him, or that the ‘Simanta Express’ train was his personal property. He added that the lawmaker had similarly refrained from claiming ownership over the ‘Diganta Tower’ located in the Gulshan-1 area of Dhaka. Following his remarks, treasury bench lawmakers clapped their desks in a show of support for the minister’s statement.

Administrative Background of the Notification

The controversy follows a recent government gazette notification that established four new unions in the Shibganj Upazila and the newly declared Mokamtala Upazila in Bogura. On 11 June 2026, a notification signed by the District Commissioner of Bogura authorized the administrative reorganization of five unions in Shibganj Upazila and eight unions in Mokamtala Upazila.

Following the publication of the official gazette on Sunday, intense debates and public criticism arose regarding the nomenclature of the newly created administrative entities. Under the revised structural framework, ‘Mirbari Union’ was established in Shibganj Upazila, while ‘Simanta Union’, ‘Diganta Union’, and ‘Swarnagram Union’ were formed in Mokamtala Upazila. The public debate remains focused on the selection of the names ‘Mirbari’, ‘Simanta’, and ‘Diganta’.