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Transfer all UNOs, OCs in phases

EC asks public admin, home ministries
SHARIFUL ISLAM, MOHIUDDIN ALAMGIR and BAHARAM KHAN
In a rare move, the Election Commission has asked for the transfer of all upazila nirbahi officers and officers-in-charge of police stations across the country.
The EC on Thursday instructed the senior secretary of the public administration ministry to transfer all UNOs.
The commission asked the government to send it a proposal for the transfer of those UNOs, who have been serving at their stations for over one year, in the first phase.
On the same day, the EC instructed the senior secretary of the home ministry’s Public Security Division to transfer the OCs of all police stations.
The government has been asked to send the EC a proposal to transfer in the first phase those OCs who have been serving at their stations for over six months.
The EC has instructed the ministries concerned to complete the first phase of the transfers before December 5.
Copies of the letters were also sent to the cabinet secretary and the inspector general of police (IGP).
The letter issued to the senior secretary of the Public Security Division said the move to transfer the officials was intended to ensure a free and fair national election.
The UNOs are performing duties as the assistant returning officers (AROs) for the January 7 polls. The OCs play a key role in maintaining law and order.
The returning officers (ROs) with the help of the AROs do all the necessary works to conduct an election. They have the legal powers, under the electoral laws, to ensure a free and fair election.
Sources at the public administration ministry said at least 290 out of the total 495 UNOs are working at their stations for more than one year.
More than half of the OCs of 50 police stations in the capital will have to be transferred in the first phase as they have already served at their stations for over six months, according to sources in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Asked about the EC’s move, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder told The Daily Star that bringing such a change in the field-level administration is meaningless if the elections are uncontested.
He said the transfers would cause sufferings to the field-level officers.
“Everybody is witnessing the election process. It is now quite clear to all which party will win the election and form the next government. It seems to me this time the election outcome will be the same like those of the last two parliamentary polls,” he said.
Many people raised questions about the roles played by the police and administration officials during and after the 2018 general election.
The then EC did not have any effective control over those officials, political analysts say.
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