The government has decided to create a Bogura Development Authority to build a planned, modern city covering Bogura town and its surrounding areas. In future no building construction or development project may be carried out in the designated area without the new authority’s approval. The law also provides strict punishment for occupying or filling in rivers, canals, water bodies, playgrounds and open spaces.
To that end the cabinet has given both in-principle and final approval to the draft Bogura Development Authority Act, 2026.
The approval was given at the cabinet’s 14th meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat on Thursday. A press release from the Cabinet Division gave the information after the meeting.
The purpose of the law, proposed by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, is to protect the natural and ecological balance of Bogura and adjoining areas, prevent unplanned urbanisation, ensure disaster-resilient urban management, develop information technology and tourism, and ensure a better quality of civic life.
Under the draft law, a statutory body called the Bogura Development Authority will be formed covering Bogura City Corporation and adjoining areas, comprising a chairman, full-time members and representatives of various agencies. The authority will prepare a master plan, development projects and local plans through a statutory process including public hearings and pre-publication. No construction work or development project may be carried out without the authority’s clearance. Along with strict environmental restrictions to protect rivers, canals, water bodies, playgrounds and open spaces, the law incorporates modern land-management methods such as land readjustment (with the consent of at least 60 percent of landowners) and land redevelopment.
The law also provides for imprisonment and fines for offences including unauthorised construction and the filling in of water bodies. It further provides for the authority to form its own fund, set development fees, take loans and be audited. The draft Bogura Development Authority Act 2026 has been given final approval subject to vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division.
Under the law the authority will prepare a phased planning framework following the prescribed legal process, including public hearings and pre-publication. No development activity may be carried out outside that plan. Constructing a building or taking up a development project without the authority’s clearance will also be prohibited.
To ensure the authority’s financial capacity, the law also provides for forming its own fund, collecting development fees, taking loans and conducting audits.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report