What is the Barishal upazila proposal?

A proposal to create a new upazila named "Barishal" from Ramrail, Sultanpur and Basudeb (Brahmanbaria Sadar), Singarbil (Bijoynagar) and Barishal (Akhaura) unions.

Who applied for the Barishal upazila?

District BNP leader Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan, on 8 September 2026.

Has the Barishal upazila been approved?

No. As of 30 October 2026 it is at the feasibility stage.

Why are Ramrail residents against it?

They want to stay with Sadar, they do not want a farther upazila office and more cost, and they were not consulted. They also question the role of one family in the process.

What do residents want?

Withdrawal of the application, open public hearings in all five unions, and an impartial review.

Is this about Barishal Division?

No. Barishal (বরিশল) is a union in Akhaura upazila, Brahmanbaria.

A Ministry Letter in One Day: Who Gains from the Proposed "Barishal" Upazila in Brahmanbaria?

Visit Brahmanbaria News Desk · 30 October 2026

Residents with placards at the rally at Ramrail Bazar on 29 October — The rally at Ramrail Bazar, 29 October. Still from the video "Five unions' address must not change".

In short: On 8 September 2026, district BNP leader Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan applied for a new upazila named "Barishal", made from five unions: Ramrail, Sultanpur, Basudeb, Singarbil and Barishal. The Local Government Division wrote to the Deputy Commissioner the next day. The proposal is not approved. On 29 October, residents held a rally at Ramrail Bazar against it.

"Barishal" here (বরিশল) is a union and village in Akhaura, Brahmanbaria, not Barishal Division.

What happened

8 September 2026: Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan applies for a five-union "Barishal" upazila. (brahmanbaria24)
9 September 2026: One day later, the Local Government Division (Upazila-1 branch) asks the Deputy Commissioner for a feasibility report. (Same source)
29 October 2026: Rally at Ramrail Bazar. The general secretary of Ramrail Union Jubo Dal said: "We will never be part of this Barishal upazila." Lawyer Mukul Chowdhury said the movement will continue until the proposal is withdrawn. (Daily New Nation, 29 October 2026)

Application on 8 September, ministry letter on 9 September: in just one day — Application on 8 September; ministry letter on 9 September. (Graphic text in Bangla.)

Quote from lawyer Mukul Chowdhury: the movement goes on until the proposal is withdrawn — The rally at Ramrail Bazar, 29 October.

Not the first step

Earlier this year, on Kabir Bhuiyan's application, his village became the new Barishal Union. Six villages moved from Basudeb (Sadar) to Akhaura. (RTV, 23 April 2026)
His father, Fazlur Rahman Bhuiyan, was appointed the union's administrator. The union office opened on 14 July in his father's house. (Prothom Bangladesh, 15 July 2026)
Kabir Bhuiyan has himself named Fazlur Rahman Bhuiyan as his father. (OneBangla, 6 July 2025)
Appointing party leaders as union administrators has been criticised by the citizens' group SHUJAN. (Prothom Alo English, 1 September 2026)
His brother, Abdur Rahman Sunny, has been the Prime Minister's Assistant Private Secretary (APS-2) since 18 February 2026. (Prothom Alo English)

Timeline: Barishal Union initiative in March, approval in May, father made administrator in July, union office in his house — Barishal Union: from the application to an office in his father's house.

Two brothers: Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan and the PM's Assistant Private Secretary Abdur Rahman Sunny — One brother applies; the other works in the Prime Minister's Office.

What residents are asking

A ministry letter the day after the application. Does an ordinary citizen's request move that fast?
The applicant's brother works in the Prime Minister's Office. Did he play any part in this file? If not, will he publicly recuse himself?
The upazila would carry the name of the applicant's home village, and his father already runs the union. Who will control the new offices, budgets and posts?
Did anyone ask the people of the five unions?

Who gains? Ramrail, Sultanpur and Basudeb are part of Brahmanbaria Sadar today, close to the courts, the hospital and district offices. If the proposal passes, their upazila office moves to a new centre. Residents say that means longer trips, more cost, and nobody asked them.

Who gains? One family gets the upazila, the administrator post, offices and budgets; the people get a farther office and more cost — What one family gets, and what the people get.

Map: Ramrail, Sultanpur, Basudeb, Singarbil and Barishal unions pulled toward one village — Five unions from three upazilas, pulled to one new centre.

What the area actually needs

The Chandura–Singarbil road is in bad shape, and Singarbil is one of the five unions. (Desh Rupantor)
Nabinagar's air quality index recently measured 202, worse than Dhaka's 176 that day. (Bangladesh Pratidin, 24 October 2026)
Residents say pregnant women cannot reach hospital in time on these roads.

What the area needs instead: broken roads, Nabinagar air quality 202, risk to pregnant women — What the area needs: roads and clean air.

A question for the local MP

All five unions are in the Brahmanbaria-3 seat, won by Engr. Khaled Hossain Mahbub Shyamal with 209,636 votes. As of 29 October we found no public statement from him on this. People want to know where he stands. We will add his response here when we receive it.

Demands

Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan should withdraw the application.
Abdur Rahman Sunny should publicly recuse himself from this file.
The Deputy Commissioner should hold open public hearings in all five unions.
The Prime Minister's Office should order an impartial review.

Right of reply: Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan, Abdur Rahman Sunny and MP Khaled Hossain Mahbub Shyamal are welcome to send a response. We will publish it in full on this page.

FAQ

What is the Barishal upazila proposal?: A proposal to create a new upazila named "Barishal" from Ramrail, Sultanpur and Basudeb (Brahmanbaria Sadar), Singarbil (Bijoynagar) and Barishal (Akhaura) unions.
Who applied for the Barishal upazila?: District BNP leader Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan, on 8 September 2026.
Has the Barishal upazila been approved?: No. As of 30 October 2026 it is at the feasibility stage.
Why are Ramrail residents against it?: They want to stay with Sadar, they do not want a farther upazila office and more cost, and they were not consulted. They also question the role of one family in the process.
What do residents want?: Withdrawal of the application, open public hearings in all five unions, and an impartial review.
Is this about Barishal Division?: No. Barishal (বরিশল) is a union in Akhaura upazila, Brahmanbaria.

Sources

brahmanbaria24 (27 Oct 2026) · RTV (23 Apr 2026) · Prothom Bangladesh (15 Jul 2026) · OneBangla (6 Jul 2025) · Ittefaq and Dhaka Times (18 Feb 2026) · Prothom Alo English (1 Sep 2026) · Bhorer Kagoj (30 Aug 2026) · Desh Rupantor · Bangladesh Pratidin (24 Oct 2026) · Daily New Nation (29 Oct 2026)