The road transport and bridges ministry on Monday changed names of four highways and eight bridges across the country, including the name of the expressway on the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga route.
All these roads and highways were earlier named after the country鈥檚 founding president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and his family members.
The Road Transport and Highways Division under the ministry issued a circular on the day announcing the new names with the 鈥楯atir Pita Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Expressway鈥� being renamed as the 鈥楧haka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway鈥�.
Some people on August 8, 2024 hung a banner on which 鈥楯atir Pita Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) Expressway鈥� was written covering the official name of the infrastructure written on it following the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina who subsequently fled to India amid a student-people mass uprising.
Regarding one of the three other highways, the circular describes that the name 鈥楯atir Pita Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Highway鈥� earlier given to the highway starting from the Sylhet district airport bypass intersection and passing through the Lalbagh-Salutikor-Companiganj-Bholaganj route has been replaced with the 鈥楽ylhet District Airport Bypass Intersection-Lalbagh-Salutikor-Companiganj-Bholaganj National Highway鈥�.
It also says that the 鈥楽heikh Hasina Highway鈥� which was the name of the highway starting from Madaripur (Mostofapur) via Kazirtek to Shariatpur has been replaced with the name 鈥楰azirtek Bridge-Shariatpur Highway鈥�.
According to the circular, Sheikh Hasina Sarani has also been renamed after the place names as the 鈥楤orotakia (Abu Torab)-Mirsarai Economic Zone Connecting Road鈥�.
These four highways are administered respectively by the Munshiganj, Sylhet, Madaripur and Chattogram zones under the Roads and Highways Department.
Regarding renaming of eight bridges, the circular says that 鈥榃azed Miah Bridge鈥� over the River Korotoya at Kanchdaha area in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur has been renamed as 鈥楰anchdaha Bridge鈥�.
鈥楽heikh Kamal Bridge鈥� over the River Andharmanik in Patuakhali has been renamed as 鈥楢ndhar Manik Bridge鈥�; 鈥楽heikh Jamal Bridge鈥� over the River Sonatola has been renamed as 鈥楽onatola Bridge鈥� and 鈥楽heikh Russel Bridge鈥� over the River Khaprabhanga in Patuakhali as 鈥楰haprabhanga Bridge鈥�.
All these three bridges are on different points of the Patuakhali-Kuakata regional highway under Patuakhali zone of the Road Transport and Highways Division.
鈥楽haheed Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Bridge鈥� over the River Baleswari in Zianagar upazila in Pirojpur has been renamed as 鈥業ndurkani Bridge鈥�; 鈥楤angamata Begum Fazilatunnessa Mujib 8th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge鈥� over the River Kancha in Pirojpur has been renamed as 鈥楤ekutia Bridge鈥�; 鈥楽ultana Kamal Bridge鈥� in Narayanganj has been renamed as 鈥楧emra Bridge鈥� and 鈥楽haheed Abdur Rab Serniabat Bridge鈥� in Barishal has been renamed as 鈥楧apdapia Bridge鈥�.
Road transport and bridges ministry adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan earlier said that at a meeting of the council of advisers decision was taken that no institutions would carry the names of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members.
Recently, the government has also changed the names of 13 public universities which earlier were named after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members.
