United News of Bangladesh

The government is set to appoint new deputy commissioners (DCs) in all districts ahead of the upcoming national election to hold it in a credible manner. Sources at the Ministry of Public Administration said the appointments of new DCs are expected to be finalised within September as the national election is scheduled to be held in February 2026. Amid criticisms over appointing officials who benefited during the Awami League’s tenure as DCs, the government is now exercising greater caution in making such postings, sources said. Like the previous years, the DCs are expected to be appointed again as returning officers during upcoming parliamentary elections. The preparation of the new ‘fit list’ is already at its final stage. According to the sources at the Ministry of Public Administration, this time no controversial official or those who have political affiliation will be made a DC. If anyone secures a DC appointment through deception or concealing information, administrative action will be taken against him or her once verified. On August 18, Md Sarwar Alam, a well-known executive magistrate for his strict action against food adulteration and irregularities, was appointed DC of Sylhet. The change came amid much-talked-about allegations of large-scale stone looting from Bholaganj, Jaflong and other areas of Sylhet. The ministry started preparing the ‘fit list’ on January 11 this year. As part of the process, interviews were held in six phases with 269 deputy secretaries from the 25th and 27th batches of the BCS Administration Cadre. Local administration involved in Bholaganj stone looting: Rizwana Hasan Over 50 officers have been included in the fit list so far and viva voce for officers of the 28th batch are underway, according to the Public Administration Ministry. Currently, 26 officers of the 24th batch, 25 officers of the 25th batch and 12 officers of the 27th batch are serving as DCs. Although 21 officers of the 24th batch were promoted to joint secretary on March 20 they have not yet been withdrawn from field administration. Earlier, on September 8, 2023, DC appointments were made in 61 districts from a fit list of 108 officers, sparking huge controversy. Many officers claimed they were ‘deprived,’ and created unprecedented disorder in the ministry. Md Erfanul Haque, Additional Secretary (Appointments, Promotions & Transfers) of the Ministry of Public Administration, said, “The DC appointment process is underway. The Public Administration Committee will decide the timeline but we expect the appointments to be made soon.” Senior Secretary Dr Mokhles-ur Rahman said, “The DCs will be appointed from the fit list. Qualified and competent officers will be placed ahead of the election to avoid any question of credibility.” Former secretary and administrative expert AKM Abdul Awal Majumdar said, “Interim governments (caretaker governments) in 1991, 1996, and 2001 did not face such disorder. The current administrative weaknesses must be addressed quickly. Governance is impossible without an honest, skilled and professional bureaucracy. There is still time to restore the administration by appointing capable officers in key positions.” According to the Public Administration Ministry, a ‘Public Administration Committee’ comprising four advisers, the Cabinet Secretary, and the Secretary of Public Administration has been formed to provide guidance on appointments, transfers, and disciplinary matters for divisional commissioners, DCs, joint secretaries and higher positions. This committee makes the final decisions on DC appointments and other matters. Govt to fast-track implementation of ‘Administrative Reform’ proposals In February, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin instructed the DCs of all 64 districts to apply the full extent of the law in their roles as returning officers in the upcoming national election, according to official sources who preferred to remain anonymous. The interim government has already taken action against the government officials who played key roles in the engineered elections during the previous Awami League regime. This year the government has sent 21 former DCs into compulsory retirement due to their roles in the controversial elections as they had served as returning officers in the general elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024 which are widely criticised for fraudulence. Besides, 43 former DCs were made officers on special duty (OSD). Those with less than 25 years of service experience were made OSD while those who have served for more than 25 years were sent on compulsory retirement.

Intelligence agencies are currently gleaning information about the deputy commissioners (DCs) who served as returning officers in 2024 general elections, said Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Mokhlesur Rahman on Sunday. Among DCs who were made officers on special duty (OSD) or sent into forced retirement for their role in 2014 and 2018 national elections, cases will be filed only against those against whom there are allegations of financial irregularities, he said while talking to reporters at the secretariat. “The government has not acted unjustly or with bias against anyone. Decisions were made solely in the interest of the state,” the senior secretary said. He said after reviewing intelligence reports, the government will make final decisions through the Advisory Council’s committee. 21 ex-DCs sent into forced retirement Depending on the severity of the allegations, some officials may be made OSD or sent into compulsory retirement, but the government will ensure fairness in all cases, he added. Meanwhile, nine additional secretaries from different ministries are set to be promoted to the position of secretary soon, he said. He said the government has decided on these promotions based on merit and eligibility, ruling out any favoritism in the process.

Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder has instructed the authorities concerned, including deputy commissioners (DCs) and food officials, to take necessary measures to stop the illegal hoarding of foods. The adviser exchanged views with the concerned officials over the procurement of Aman paddy and rice in the current 2024-25 season at the Circuit House of Barishal on Monday.   Anti-tobacco activities to be strengthened in Gazipur city Emphasising the importance of ensuring adequate food stock to maintain the nation’s food security, the adviser provided necessary guidance to all DCs of the Barishal division, as well as the concerned food officials, to ensure the target for Aman collection is met. Ali Imam advised all to work in coordination to achieve the goal of food procurement during the current season. To facilitate the procurement of paddy from farmers, the Food Adviser informed that the government’s app be used to collect paddy. In areas where issues with the app are encountered, paddy should be collected from farmers upon verification of their national identification card (NID). As part of the government's initiative to provide price support to farmers, the government has set the price of per kilogram paddy at Tk 33, an increase by Tk 3 compared to the past year. The prices for parboiled and unpolished rice have been set at Tk 47 and Tk 46 per kilogram, also an increase by Tk 3 for both items, he said. JU VC calls on Dr Yunus, seeks advice on JUCSU election The procurement period for paddy and parboiled rice will last until February 28 and for unpolished rice, until March 15, 2025, he shared. Attending officials have so far expressed satisfaction over the paddy and rice collection and hoped that the target will be met within the set timeframe. Director General of the Food Department, the Divisional Commissioner of Barishal, RC Food, district commissioners from all districts of the Barishal division, DC Food, and other concerned officials, among others were present at the meeting.

The government has appointed new Deputy Commissioners (DCs) for three districts across the country. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification to this end on Thursday. Bandarban gets new DC According to the notification, ABM Ifthekharul Islam Khandakar, the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, has been appointed as the DC of Khagrachhari, Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah, the DC of Rajbari, has been made the DC of Narayanganj and Sultana Akter, the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, has been appointed as the DC of Rajbari. This order issued in the public interest will take effect immediately.  

The interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, is set to appoint new Deputy Commissioners (DCs) across all districts in Bangladesh. A new fit list has been prepared, prioritizing those who were previously overlooked for promotion during the Awami League government's tenure. The fit list, developed by the Ministry of Public Administration, includes over 600 officials from the BCS 24th, 25th, and 27th batches, who have been deprived of promotions in the past 15-16 years. The interim government aims to address these long-standing grievances by considering these officials for the DC roles. A high-ranking official confirmed that the previous fit list created under the Awami League government is not being considered. Instead, the new list focuses on officials with extensive field administration experience who were previously sidelined due to political reasons. Many of these officials were labeled as supporters of opposition parties, leading to negative intelligence reports that blocked their promotions. In light of this, the government has relaxed the criteria for DC appointments to give these officials a fair chance. The committee, led by the Cabinet Secretary, has made special provisions to ensure that these deserving officers are appointed as DCs. Read more: Interim Govt taking steps to declare Metro Rail a key point installation for enhanced security: Adviser Fouzul The new policy allows officials who have been in the BCS (Administration) cadre for at least one year as Deputy Secretary and have a minimum of two years of experience in specific roles, such as Deputy Director or Additional Deputy Commissioner, to be eligible for the DC positions. They must also have a satisfactory disciplinary record over the past five years and demonstrate proficiency in project management, ICT, and both Bangla and English. Despite their qualifications, many of these officers were denied DC positions under the previous government. The decision to relax the policy and create a new fit list reflects the interim government's commitment to addressing these past injustices. The process of appointing new DCs began on Saturday, with interviews of 60 officials from the BCS 24th batch conducted under the supervision of Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain. Interviews will continue over the next three days, involving more officials from the 24th batch and beyond. Several Deputy Secretaries from various ministries and departments have been shortlisted for the DC positions. The interviews include officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Power, the Ministry of Finance, and the Anti-Corruption Commission, among others. Read more: Interim Government to publish White Paper on current economic situation In a related development, approximately 200 Joint Secretaries from the 9th to 13th BCS batches, who were also deprived of promotions, are set to be promoted to Additional Secretary. The recommendation for these promotions was sent to the Chief Adviser’s office on Saturday, with an official notification expected by Sunday or Monday. However, it has been reported that certain officials who previously served in key roles within the Prime Minister's Office will not be considered for the DC appointments, as per directives from higher authorities.

Sate Minister for Water Resources Ministry Zahid Faruk on Thursday directed the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to remain  vigilant to stop illegal sand extraction from rivers. The dams which are built on the rivers collapse due to the illegal sand extraction, he said while talking to reporters after the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference 2023 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. Sand can be extracted only from those places which the Water Development Board declares as ‘Balu Mahals’ (sand quarries) as sand is needed for the development of the country, he said. “In this way we will be able to meet the need for sand as well as prevent river erosion.” Due to climate change, river erosion and flood has increased in Bangladesh, said the state minister. “Last year we saw early flooding in rural areas. Even then we didn't let the crops get damaged. I have taken precautions.” Read more: Sand lifting from rivers at night to be banned: State Minister Stating that a few DCs spoke about the problem of river erosion in their areas, he said, "We are working, but the pace is slow due to the global recession." “When a problem is raised from an area, we take action after conducting a survey,” he said urging the engineers to talk to local public representatives and solve their problems.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah on Wednesday directed the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to show zero tolerance against corruption. Country’s development is not possible with corruption, the matter has been brought to the notice of the DCs and Divisional Commissioners, he said while talking to reporters on the 2nd day of Deputy Commissioners’ Conference 2023 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. The DCs were asked to inform any corruption allegation to the ACC if there is no scope for taking action against anyone, he said. “We have to prevent corruption at any cost, and whoever it is we are ready to investigate it,” he said. Read more: PM Hasina opens annual DC conference When asked about the corruption in the land offices, the ACC chairman said digitisation will help reduce corruption in the land offices to some extent. Regarding the allegations of corruption against the DCs, he said, “I do not have the authority to give warnings on the issue of corruption. It is in our constitution. In view of that, laws have been made, commissions have been formed.” He said that if there is any corruption case with merit for investigation, no matter who the person is, an investigation will take place.

Deputy commissioners (DCs) have been asked to remain vigilant so that no one can manipulate price of daily essentials during the month of Ramadan, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said today. The minister said this while talking to reporters after the fourth meeting with DCs at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city. “I have asked them to take strict measures so that no one can take advantage of the price of necessary items during Ramadan,” he said. He also asked to remain aware about consumers rights. “The assistance of DCs is needed to expand the trade and many have alleged that they failed to get fair price of rawhide during Eid-ul-Azha. Please take necessary steps in this regard,” he said. Replying to a question about monitoring the daily essentials’ markets, Tipu said the DCs have been asked to implement all steps taken by the government. Also read: Minimum or zero LC margin for imports of daily commodities for Ramadan, says Tipu Munshi The three-day annual conference of the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) began on Tuesday. This time there will be a total of 26 sessions, including 20 working sessions, with various ministries at the DC conference that will end on Thursday.    

The three-day annual conference of the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) will begin on Tuesday (January 24, 2023). Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to open it at 10 am at Shapla Hall in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), said Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain while briefing reporters at the Secretariat. This time there will be a total of 26 sessions, including 20 working sessions, with various ministries in the DC conference that will end on Thursday (January 26, 2023). On this occasion, the DCs will meet the President, the Chief Justice and the Speaker and take instructions from them, said the cabinet secretary. Also Read: DCs asked to take steps against brick kilns In the conference the deputy commissioners will exchange views with the relevant ministries for the implementation of various policies, strategies and instructions of the government, he said. Secondly, they come up with various reform proposals based on the challenges they face, the experience they accumulate at the field level while implementing the government's various directives and policies, Mahub said. “We have received a total of 245 proposals from various ministries and deputy commissioners this year,” he added. In response to a question regarding the next national election, he said, “We will provide full cooperation for holding a fair election. We hope that new momentum will come in our field level activities through this year's DCs Conference.”  

The deputy commissioners (DCs) of 64 districts have been requested to take legal steps against illegal brick kilns that pollute the environment and to stop the use of wood as fuel in the brickfields. Farhina Ahmed, secretary to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry called on the DCs to do so at a meeting with them organised by the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, held at the Secretariat on Tuesday. Read more: Remove illegal brick kilns in 4 districts: HC The ministry organised the meeting in an effort to take steps to control the pollution caused by the illegal brick kilns and stop use of plastic and polythene. Farhina Ahmed, secretary to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, additional secretaries Sanjay Kumar Bhoumik and Mizanur Rahman, Directorate General of the Department of Environment Abdul Hamid and other high officials of the ministry were present at the meeting. The environment secretary said use of agricultural land and destruction of agricultural land should be stopped to ensure food security. She also directed the director general of the Department of Environment to take necessary steps to ensure the use of 100 percent environment-friendly block bricks in all government works by the year 2025 as per the target fixed by the government.  Read more: Brick kilns threaten environment & cause health hazards in south-western Bangladesh In order to involve all the stakeholders to prevent various types of pollution including brick kilns, she instructed the DoE to organise awareness meetings in all the districts of the country on an urgent basis. In the meeting, it was decided to strengthen the regular enforcement and mobile court drives conducted by the DoE and the district administration to stop the production and use of polythene shopping bags and the marketing of the wrappers which have been banned by the government.  It was decided to take necessary initiatives to implement the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2021 for the proper management of solid waste. In addition, instructions were given to implement the three-year action plan to stop the use of single-use plastic in 40 upazilas of 12 districts of the coastal region on an urgent basis. During the meeting, the officials of the ministry and the deputy commissioners exchanged their views on taking effective measures to stop illegal brick kilns and use of plastic and polythene.  They were also requested to update the relevant laws and regulations and solve some of the existing problems.