Bangladesh
Padma | Meghna | Divisions Formation of 'Padma' and 'Meghna' divisions suspended
Dhaka, November 28: The process of formation of 'Padma' division with five districts of Greater Faridpur and 'Meghna' division with three districts of Greater Comilla and three of Noakhali has been suspended.
On Sunday (November 27) at the Prime Minister's office, the National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reorganization-Reform (NICAR) meeting regarding administrative restructuring did not approve the proposal. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Haque said that due to the government's cost-cutting policy, the decision of two new divisions named Padma and Meghna has been postponed. NICAR did not approve the proposal. The rest of the agenda was approved in the meeting.
In the NICAR meeting, the proposal to transfer the Islami University police station of Kushtia district to Jhowdia area and name it as 'Jhowdia Police Camp' and to transfer the 'Jhowdia Police Camp' to the Islami University campus and name it as 'Islami University Police Camp' was approved.
Apart from this, approval has been received for the formation of municipality in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira district, it has been decided to separate the disputed parts of Kajala and Boyail union of Sariakandi upazila of Bogra district. The boundaries of Motherganj Upazila will be reconstructed by adding this area to the Madarganj Upazila of Jamalpur District. Also, the proposal to extend the boundaries of Nandail Municipality in Mymensingh district has been approved.
Before this, the meeting date of June 2 was fixed. On the agenda of that meeting was the proposal to form 'Padma' and 'Meghna' divisions. But, later that meeting was postponed. On October 21 and December 7 last year, the Prime Minister announced that Comilla will be named after the Meghna river and Faridpur will be named after the Padma river. However, local residents are demanding the formation of divisions named 'Faridpur' and 'Comilla'.
On October 21 of last year, the prime minister said, "I have decided about the division," while participating virtually in the opening ceremony of the Comilla Metropolitan Awami League office. "I will make two sections named after two rivers. One is Padma and the other is Meghna."
At that time, Member of Parliament of Comilla Sadar Constituency and President of Metropolitan Awami League Bir Muktijoddha AKM Bahauddin Baha demanded to give a division named Comilla. But the Prime Minister opposed it. She said, "I will not give the name 'Ku'." The name of Comilla is associated with the name of Moshtaq."
In the end, the cabinet department finalized the proposal by determining the names of two new divisions after the two main rivers of the country, which has now been suspended.
