EC orders transfer of DCs

After ordering the transfer of the current Upazila Nirbahi Officers and Officers-in-charge (OC) of Police Stations across the country, the Election Commission is now going to order the transfer of District Administrators. Several Election Commission officials confirmed this to The Report.live.

However, the relevant authorities have been making such transfers without the consent of the Election Commission (EC) or ignoring the instructions of the EC. Earlier in January 2022, the Ministry of Public Administration reshuffled the post of Deputy Commissioner (DC) without taking the consent of the EC while the local government elections were going on. On January 5, the then EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khondkar expressed his anger over the transfer of the new Deputy Commissioner in 13 districts.

Last Friday, the Election Commission has issued a decision to transfer all Upazila Nirbahi Officers in a phased manner. In the first phase, those Upazila Nirbahi Officers who have completed more than one year of service at their current place of employment should send the proposal of transfer to another district to the Election Commission by December 5. Earlier, the Election Commission (EC) has ordered the phased transfer of all Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) for the smooth conduct of the upcoming 12th National Assembly elections.

This information is known from the letter signed by EC Deputy Secretary, Mizanur Rahman. This letter has already been sent to the Senior Secretary of Public Safety. Regarding this transfer order, General Secretary of Bangladesh Police Association Mazharul Islam told The Report.live, "Since the Election Commission has the power to reshuffle the administration at this time, I applaud it."

However, he did not agree to comment on the question of whether there will be complications in the sudden transfer of so many officials.

There are more than 600 police stations in 64 districts of the country. In this case, first of all the officers in charge of the police stations who have completed more than 6 months of service at their current place of work should be transferred. The transfer proposal has been asked to be sent to the EC by December 5.

Last time in 2001, before the elections, after the caretaker government head Latifur Rahman took charge, the OCs were also transferred like this.