(BSS) - After nearly 150 years since its establishment, Bogura Municipality has been upgraded to the status of a city corporation.

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

Speaking on the occasion, the premier said, “This was a long-standing demand of yours. By transforming Bogura municipality as 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. Everyone must cooperate.”

State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, Member of Parliament from Bogura-6 constituency (Sadar) 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 government 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 there was a plan to upgrade the municipality to a city corporation, but it did not materialize over the past two decades.

In the last 12 years, Rangpur, Cumilla, Mymensingh, Narayanganj, and Gazipur municipalities were upgraded into city corporations.
However, despite being the largest municipality in the country, Bogura remained a municipality until now.

Earlier, the Prime Minister arrived at Bogura Circuit House from Dhaka at 10:00 am. He then unveiled the plaque of the newly constructed building of the District Bar Association at the Judge Court premises and later inaugurated the e-bail bond system at the court.