Transfer of UNOS, OCS: Field-level officials ‘discontent’ with EC directive
A large number of field-level administration officials are dissatisfied with the Election Commission's instructions for the transfer of all upazila nirbahi officers and officers-in-charge of police stations ahead of the national election, several officials said.
With the election barely a month away, the wholesale transfer of officials could create a setback to the administration's plan for conducting the polls, they said.
The UNOs and the OCs are already working on identifying the important polling centres and carrying out other polls-related works.
Getting transferred and taking charge at new stations will take at least a week. Keeping this in mind, the public administration ministry is mulling transferring the UNOs to the nearest districts, said officials.
Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, at least six UNOs said they thought that some officials could be transferred ahead of the January 7 polls due to some valid reasons, but they could not even imagine there would be a wholesale transfer.
"We heard the election commissioners saying on several occasions that no major reshuffle of officials would take place during the election period. So, I am stunned by the decision of transferring all UNOs and OCs," said an UNO from Sylhet division.
A couple of weeks ago, two election commissioners said that there would be no major reshuffle of the field-level administration and police officials.
But the EC on Thursday asked for the transfer of all UNO and OCs.
The commission asked the government for proposals in the first phase for the transfers of those UNOs serving at their stations for over a year and for those OCs serving at their stations for over six months. The government was asked to submit the proposals by December 5.
Of the total 495 UNOs across the country, 207 have already spent at least one year at their current stations, officials said.
Usually, the offices of the divisional commissioners deal with the transfer of the UNOs. These offices have informed the public administration ministry about the current status of the UNOs and they were waiting for the ministry's decision in this regard, at least four divisional commissioners told this newspaper.
"The UNOs have already visited the polling centres. They have an idea about their respective upazilas. But after their transfers, they will need to rearrange their plans within a short time," said an UNO from Rajshahi division.
Bangladesh Administrative Association Secretary General SM Alam said the EC can take any decision regarding the elections. He said the association cannot make any comment on the matter.
A superintendent of police from Barishal division said, "There is certainly some dissatisfaction among the OCs over the Election Commission's decision."
An OC of a police station in the capital said, "There is no point in making such a decision. Causing hassles for so many officials would not be right."
He said a new OC requires at least a month to have an idea about the local situation and streets.
An EC official said the commission decided to transfer the UNOs and OCs as many MPs, who are running again, have developed good relations with those field-level officials who have been at their stations for a long time.
The EC has asked the government for the transfer of the UNOs and OCs based on information received by the election commissioners during their recent visits outside Dhaka, Ashok Kumar Debnath, additional secretary at the commission secretariat, told reporters at the EC office yesterday.
He, however, refused to give details on the information.
Enquired whether the EC or the government decided to transfer the officials, Ashok said, "The Election Commission has asked for it."
2 DCS TRANSFERRED
The public administration ministry yesterday transferred two deputy commissioners.
Sunamganj DC Didar-E-Alam Mohammed Maksud has been transferred to Mymensingh. Deputy Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat Md Rashed Iqbal Chowdhury has been made the DC of Sunamganj.
Mymensingh DC Mostafizur Rahman has been made the deputy secretary of the Health Services Division.
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