SYLHET, June 12, (V7N) – With the change of power, the names of various establishments in Sylhet are being altered. The latest is the Chandipul Roundabout on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, which was named after late Abdus Samad Azad, the first Foreign Minister of independent Bangladesh, in 2009. Recently, the roundabout's name was changed to 'Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan Square'. Mahbub Ali Khan, a resident of South Surma in Sylhet, is the father-in-law of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and served as Chief of the Navy, Deputy Chief Martial Law Administrator, and Communications Minister.
A signboard with the new name was installed last Saturday afternoon, removing the old name, and the event was broadcast live on Facebook. The 'MA Khan Chattar Implementation Committee' claims the previous naming was not done according to rules and that they had long demanded the square be named after Mahbub Ali Khan, whose memory is associated with the nearby road leading to his ancestral home in Birahimpur village.
Discussions and criticisms have emerged on social media regarding the renaming. Some have pointed out that individuals supporting the change had previously supported the original naming. The joint convener of the implementation committee, M Ahmed Ali, claimed that the previous naming was done despite opposition from the local MP and the late mayor of Sylhet City Corporation, Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran.
Former acting chairman of Jagannathpur Upazila Parishad, Muktadir Ahmed, expressed disappointment, stating that with the removal of Abdus Samad Azad's name from Chandipul roundabout, there are no more establishments in Sylhet named after him. He noted that Azad was not in favor of naming things after himself during his lifetime, and removing such names is disrespectful.
Earlier, a park run by the South Surma City Corporation was reinstated in the name of M Saifur Rahman, and the poet Nazrul Auditorium in Sylhet city was also renamed after Saifur Rahman. Similarly, at Sylhet Agricultural University, six residential halls have undergone name changes and corrections. The renaming trend reflects a broader pattern of political shifts influencing commemorative naming across the region.
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