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for LGRD Mir Shahe Alam.

The unions are “Simanta” and “Diganta”.

Bogura Deputy Commissioner Toufikur Rahman told The Daily Star that the PM called him yesterday afternoon and gave the instruction. “Necessary steps are being taken in this regard.”

Sources at the Prime Minister’s Office said the premier was displeased over the controversy.

“As the issue drew criticism from different quarters, it is also thought that the government’s image has been harmed. This is why the move has been made to change the names,” said a PMO official.

The sources said locals’ opinions, the area’s history and traditions, and its geographical identity would be given importance when choosing the new names. A public hearing will be held before the new names are finalised.

People from different walks of life, public representatives, and political leaders will be asked to provide their views at the hearing.

The proposed names will then be scrutinised and sent to the ministry concerned.

Once the new names are finalised, they will be published in a gazette after completion of the administrative process, the sources said.

Over the naming issue, the state minister faced questions in parliament on Monday.

Rejecting the allegation of renaming the unions after his sons, Shahe Alam said the names had “miraculously” matched those of his two sons.

The Bogura-2 MP said the names were chosen based on geography: Syedpur union was adjacent to the border and has therefore been named “Simanta”, while Deuli union was located farther away and has therefore been named “Diganta”.

He added, “If I had wanted to, I could have asked the DC to name them Mir Simanta or Mir Diganta. However, the prefix Mir is not included.”

PMO officials said the controversy reached the highest level of the government after it caused discomfort within the administration and drew public attention.

Amid criticism over the naming, a fresh controversy has erupted over a proposal to rename an old educational institution after Shahe Alam, reports our Bogura correspondent.

A proposal was recently sent to the education ministry to change the name of Shibganj Pilot Girls’ High School.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division wrote to the Bogura DC, seeking an on-the-spot investigation report along with recommendations regarding the name change.

Contacted yesterday, DC Toufikur said that after receiving the letter, the district education officer visited the school. “Since there were no objections, we sent a positive report for changing the name.”

Ten minutes later, the DC called back this correspondent and said that the state minister himself sent a DO letter to the education secretary, stating that since there are already some institutions named after him, no new institutions should be named after Shahe Alam.

After the issue of renaming the school drew widespread flak on social media, the verified Facebook page of BNP Media Cell yesterday shared Shahe Alam’s DO letter.

The post stated that it has been noticed that many are engaged in such ill-attempts to use the state minister’s name for their own narrow interests.

It added that a directive has been sent to the education secretary not to take any initiative to name any educational institution after Shahe Alam.

Regarding the sharing of the DO letter, Salma Akhter, additional district commissioner (Education and ICT), Bogura, told this newspaper, “We received the ministry’s letter on June 9. The DC sir got a copy of the DO letter today [Friday].”

Asked about the proposal of changing the institution’s name, Tajul Islam, headmaster of Shibganj Pilot Girls’ High School, said Shahe Alam has contributed significantly to the education sector. “Considering that, we spoke with teachers, students, and locals, and proposed renaming the school after the state minister.”

However, after learning about the matter, the state minister strongly objected to it. “Following his objection, I sent another letter to the chairman of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rajshahi, on June 11, requesting that the school’s previous name be retained,” the headmaster added.