Country’s 13th city corporation Bogura

After nearly 150 years since its establishment, Bogura Municipality has been upgraded to the status of a city corporation on Monday.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who is now in Bogura on a day-long visit, officially declared Bogura municipality as the country’s 13^th city corporation by unveiling its plaque at the municipal building this morning.

Speaking on the occasion the PM said, “This was a long-standing demand of yours. By transforming Bogura municipality into the city corporation, your demand has been fulfilled. Now Bogura must be transformed into a model city. This cannot be achieved by the government alone, whereas everyone must cooperate.”

State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, Member of Parliament from Bogura-6 constituency Rezaul Karim Badsha, Local Government Division Secretary Md. Shahidul Hassan, Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman, Deputy Commissioner Toufiqur Rahman and other senior officials were present at the plaque unveiling ceremony.

The Prime Minister also planted saplings on the occasion.

The existing 12 city corporations are: Dhaka South, Dhaka North, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barishal, Sylhet, Narayanganj, Cumilla, Rangpur, Gazipur, and Mymensingh.

During British rule, the activities of Bogura Municipality began on July 1, 1876. It is one of the oldest municipalities in the northern region. The municipality had 21 wards, and according to the 2022 census, its population was around 400,000. In 2006, during the regime of the then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, the area of Bogura Municipality was expanded to 69.56 square kilometers by including 48 surrounding mouzas.

At that time, the municipality was upgraded from 12 wards to 21 wards when even there was a plan to upgrade the municipality to a city corporation, but this decision was kept away during the last two decades of fascist Hasina regime. However, finally Bogura has been recognised as city corporation throughout a historic step.

In the last 12 years, Rangpur, Cumilla, Mymensingh, Narayanganj, and Gazipur municipalities were upgraded into city corporations.