Staff Correspondent

The government wants to transfer one-third of the upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs), even though the Election Commission (EC) has given instructions to transfer all the UNOs in stages before the polls.

Field-level administration officials said that even if half the UNOs were replaced with a month left for the polls, it would have an impact on the elections.

After receiving the directions of the Election Commission regarding the transfer of UNOs, the divisional commissioners sent the job information of UNOs to the Ministry of Public Administration.

The public administration ministry will discuss with the Election Commission to finalise the number of UNOs to be transferred.

After that, the divisional commissioners will issue a notification by transferring the UNOs. How many UNOs will be transferred before the polls, are expected to be finalised within one or two days after discussions with the Election Commission.

Seeking anonymity, an official from the public administration ministry said, the number of officers who have been in charge as UNO for more than a year is about 225.

Meanwhile, additional secretary Md Nazmus Sadat Salim joined the Appointment Promotion and Deputation (APD) Wing of the public administration ministry on Sunday to reshuffle the top positions of the field administration including the deputy commissioner.

Being promoted to the position of secretary, Abdus Sabur Mandal, additional secretary of the APD Division at the same ministry was transferred to the post of Chairman of the Land Reforms Board on 26 October. Since then, the important post of APD in the ministry remained vacant.

An official of the APD wing said that the public administration ministry has made a list of officials for appointment as DC and UNO.

Besides, all formalities have been completed to appoint eight officers as DCs. One of them was appointed as the new DC of Sunamganj on Saturday.

However, UNOs are appointed from among officers of senior assistant secretary rank in the Administration Cadre. There is one UNO in charge of 495 upazilas in the country. Officers of the rank of Deputy Secretary are appointed to the post of DC.

The EC has appointed the divisional commissioners and district-level DCs and UNOs as Assistant Returning Officers in the national elections.

Regarding the transfer of UNOs, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury said, “We have started the process. The process started on Saturday. Hope to get proposals from all divisional commissioners by today (Sunday).”

Speaking to the Daily Sun, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said, “We have started activities to implement the decision of the Election Commission. Officials held a meeting in this regard on Saturday.”

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that they [UNOs] will be transferred as per the instructions given by the Election Commission for the reshuffle of police station OCs before the 12th national elections.

He said, “The Chief Election Commissioner thinks that those who have been the officer-in-charge of the police station for a long time, may be influenced by someone. It is the consideration of the Election Commission. Not mine, but theirs. That is why they asked the OCs to transfer. The OCs will be transferred as usual as per the decision of the commission.”