The government has changed the English spellings of five districts making them similar to their Bangla pronunciation.
The new spellings are Chattogram (for Chittagong), Barishal (for Barisal), Cumilla (for Comilla), Jashore (for Jessore) and Bogura (for Bogra).
The National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reorganisation-Reform or NICAR approved the spellings on Monday at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“Spellings of some districts date back to the British era. They needed to be changed,” said NM Ziaul Alam, secretary of co-ordination and reforms at the Cabinet Division, told the media after the meeting.
He said the government will change English spellings of other districts, if needed.
NICAR works to reorganise districts, sub-districts, police stations, form new ministries, divisions, form and reform different administrative units with the prime minister as its convener.