Staff Correspondent:

The transfers of superintendents of police (SP) and officers-in-charge (OC) will be carried out through a lottery system, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on Wednesday (August 6).

“As per the chief adviser’s directive, we will conduct the transfers through a lottery system. Those currently in these positions will also be reassigned to different locations through the same process,” the adviser said following a high-level meeting held at the secretariat.

The meeting focused on formulating action plans for law enforcement agencies to ensure a smooth parliamentary election.

The meeting was attended by secretaries from relevant ministries and senior officials from various law enforcement agencies.

The adviser emphasised the importance of key administrative roles during elections, noting, “DCs, SPs, UNOs, and OCs play vital roles during elections. That is why there is often pressure to appoint known individuals to these positions. To prevent this, the postings of SPs and OCs will be done through a transparent lottery system.”

“These transfers will be completed before the election schedule is announced. Once the schedule is declared, the authority shifts to the Election Commission. We will do our part, and if the commission wants to make further changes, it will have the authority to do so,” he added.

Regarding the postings of deputy commissioners (DC) and upazila nirbahi officers (UNO), the adviser said the relevant ministry will handle those transfers.

Referring to the chief adviser’s address to the nation yesterday, the home adviser said, “He clearly stated that the elections will be held in February. Today’s meeting was a continuation of that directive.”

He clarified that the lottery for SPs will be conducted at the ministry level, while the lottery for OCs will be held at the divisional level.

Ending months of speculation, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced on Tuesday (August 5) in a televised address marking July Uprising Day that the next parliamentary election will be held before Ramadan, specifically in February 2026.

Following the announcement, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Wednesday (August 6) said the Election Commission will announce the schedule for the 13th national election about two months before voting, once it receives a letter from Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

He expressed hope that the chief adviser’s letter would arrive soon, but added that preparations are underway regardless.