Some people spend years trying to build a national identity. State Minister for LGRD Mir Shahe Alam has done it in a few months, but to some extent through controversy.
This is the same Shahe Alam who became the MP from Bogura-2 following a dramatic political turnover. BNP had left the constituency open for Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna as part of a seat-sharing agreement. The party’s secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, had even announced that BNP would not field a candidate there. Shahe Alam emerged as the BNP candidate only after a twist of fate due to an electoral regulation.
That political backstory matters, if only to show his unusual rise.
The latest controversy is so dramatic that it could pass for fiction. Three unions in his own constituency were named in a way that matched his family title and the names of his two sons. When questions were raised, the explanation offered was simple: it’s a miracle, he said.
Bangladesh has seen many such “miracles,” but this one stands apart. Local areas bearing the minister’s family title, his sons’ names cannot be simply explained away as a “miracle.”
His explanation at the parliament gives the impression that anything said from a powerful seat would be accepted. But people are not fools. They are not blind either.
Then there was the waterlogging comment. After visiting a rain-affected area which was waterlogged, he reportedly said the city was “normal and beautiful.”
A more serious allegation follows. A Netra News report said Bogura received the highest allocation from the local government division, with over half of the district’s development funds going to the minister’s own constituency. It also claimed a company linked to his son secured contracts for these projects.
These are not minor political gossip. They raise questions about public money, conflict of interest, and abuse of office.
A minister may favour his constituency through lawful development work. Every elected representative wants roads, bridges, and public services for their area. But when a minister’s own constituency gets a large share of the allocation, and when his family-linked firm reportedly benefits from those projects, the matter cannot be dismissed with jokes or witticisms.
This is where the government should step in. These matters need to be examined thoroughly. The official records, tender documents, and project files should be put through scrutiny to ascertain conflict of interest.
So far, the lack of a visible government response is worrying. If the allegations are false, an investigation can clear his name; if they are true, action must follow.
