EC decides to transfer 320 OCs, 250 UNOs

Though the Election Commission (EC) earlier asked the Public Administration Ministry to transfer all upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) and the Public Security Division under the Home Ministry to transfer all officers-in-charge (OCs). It has, finally, decided to transfer approximately 320 Officers-in-Charge and 250 UNOs as they have been working in the field for more than six months to one year.

Of them, the EC has already received proposals for its approval to transfer 67 UNOs; it has given clearance to the Public Administration Ministry to transfer 47 UNOs while the proposal of transferring the rest 20 is now under process. As soon as possible, it will give its nod to transfer them.

While briefing media at the EC Secretariat at Agargaon in Dhaka, EC Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath on Monday gave the information.
He said, the EC has already approved transfer of 47 Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs), while proposals for 20 others await its approval. The approval was sent to the Public Administration Ministry to transfer responding to its proposal forwarded to the EC earlier.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Monday extended the deadline for sending transfer proposals for OCs from December 5 to December 8, according to an EC notification.

About the possible numbers, the EC additional secretary said, "In the first phase, approximately 320 Officers-in-Charge and 250 UNOs may get transferred, given the condition that OCs serving their current workplace for more than six months and UNOs serving their current workplace for more than a year should be transferred first."

On Thursday, the Election Commission asked the Home Ministry and Public Administration Ministry to transfer all UNOs and the Home Ministry to transfer all OCs to help conduct the upcoming election in a fair way.

It also directed the ministries to seek its permission for transferring OCs stationed in the same workplace for more than six months and UNOs stationed in the same workplace for more than a year by 5 December.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Police Headquarters, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and metropolitan police authorities and divisional range police authorities have been working to transfer the OCs and assign new officers to the police stations with the requirement of the EC, according to police sources.

The DMP authority has already sent a proposal of 33 OCs to the EC for its approval, the officials said.