DHAKA, Mar 31 (V7N) — The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives has appointed administrators to 14 additional district councils (Zila Parishads) across Bangladesh. The announcement was made via a formal notification signed by Deputy Secretary Khondaker Farhad Ahmed on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

This latest round of appointments follows a major administrative overhaul on March 15, when 42 administrators were assigned to various districts. With today’s notification, the government has now appointed administrators to a total of 56 district councils in two phases.

Legal Framework and Appointees

The appointments were made under Section 82A(1) of the District Councils Act, 2000, which was recently updated via the District Councils (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024. The new administrators will serve as full-time heads of their respective councils, exercising the powers and responsibilities of a chairman until further notice.

The 14 newly appointed administrators are:

District Appointed Administrator
Dhaka Md. Yasin Ferdous Morad
Gazipur Chowdhury Ishraq Ahmed Siddiqui
Manikganj Jamilur Rashid Khan
Narsingdi Tofazzal Hossain
Faridpur Md. Afzal Hossain Khan Palash
Habiganj Ahmed Ali
Chandpur AKM Salim Ullah Selim
Feni Professor MA Khalek
Nilphamari Md. Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury
Lalmonirhat AKM Mominul Haque
Pabna Mohammad Zahurul Islam
Narail Md. Mostafizur Rahman Alek
Barguna Md. Nazrul Islam Mollah
Jamalpur Md. Sirajul Haque

Political Significance

The appointments have drawn considerable attention in political circles, as several of the new administrators are high-profile figures within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). For instance, Chowdhury Ishraq Ahmed Siddiqui, appointed for Gazipur, is the member secretary of the BNP’s Gazipur district unit and the son of former minister Chowdhury Tanbir Ahmed Siddiqui. Similarly, Tofazzal Hossain (Narsingdi) is a recognized leader within the party’s regional structure.

The Local Government Division stated that these appointments are "issued in the public interest" and take effect immediately. The move is widely viewed as part of the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman administration's broader effort to consolidate local governance and replace officials from the previous "interim" or "caretaker" structures with full-time political administrators.

END/SMA/AJ