Dhaka: The newly appointed administrators of six city corporations assumed office on Tuesday after meeting Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at the Secretariat. The administrators include Abdus Salam for Dhaka South City Corporation, Shafiqul Islam Khan for Dhaka North City Corporation, Nazrul Islam Monju for Khulna City Corporation, Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury for Sylhet City Corporation, Sakhawat Hossain Khan for Narayanganj City Corporation, and Shawkat Hossain Sarkar for Gazipur City Corporation.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the appointments have sparked controversy as the Jamaat-e-Islami party accuses the government of appointing individuals backed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as the new city administrators. On Monday, a government gazette notification announced the appointment of six BNP leaders under Section 25A(1) of the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024. These leaders will serve as full-time administrators until elected representatives take office or further orders are issued.
The Local Government Minister emphasized that political leaders were chosen as administrators to enhance public services. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated, “As government officials were previously in charge of these posts, we think that if political persons serve as administrators, people will receive better and more services. That is our belief. For this reason, we have appointed political persons as administrators.” The minister also expressed confidence that this move would bridge the gap between the authorities and the public.