Controversial Polls: 22 former DCs sent on forced retirement
Staff Reporter :
22 former District Commissioners (DCs) who served during controversial 2018 national elections under the Awami League government have been sent on mandatory retirement.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification regarding the matter on Thursday (February 20).
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Mohammad Mokhlesur Rahman, shared this information with reporters at the Secretariat on the same day.
In response to a question, he stated, “The elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024 are considered controversial by some, unacceptable by others, and some say the votes were cast at night instead of during the day.
In these places, the returning officers, with the assistance of these DCs during those times, helped in completing the election process for the government.”
He further added, “This government (Awami League) has been in power for three terms, and that’s why we find ourselves in this situation today.
They (the DCs from that time) played a very negative role. Not a single DC came forward to say they would protest, or they would not serve as returning officers, or they resigned and refused to work.”
The Senior Secretary explained that, “We have already placed 43 DCs on OSD (Officers on Special Duty), especially those with less than 25 years of service.
For those with more than 25 years, we have sent them on mandatory retirement.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Administration also issued a notification on Wednesday (February 19), placing 33 district commissioners who served as returning officers during the 2018 national election on OSD.