Dhaka: The government has appointed 125 senior assistant secretaries to serve as upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) in anticipation of the parliamentary election scheduled for February next year. The ministry of public administration issued separate notifications, signed by deputy secretary Aminul Islam and senior assistant secretary Md Barman Hossain, outlining the appointments and confirming that the new UNOs will hold the status of senior assistant secretary.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the notifications indicated that the transferred UNOs have been performing duties across various districts, ministries, divisions, and departments while maintaining their senior assistant secretary status. The government has also delegated executive magistrate powers to these 125 BCS (administration cadre) officers under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, allowing them to execute their duties as executive magistrates within their respective jurisdictions.
The notifications further specified that the transferred officers are required to report to their designated stations by December 4. Failure to join their posts by this deadline will result in their release from duties in the afternoon of the same date. Previously, the government had appointed 174 senior assistant secretaries as UNOs.