By Staff Correspondent, Dhaka – In an unprecedented move to ensure electoral fairness, Bangladesh’s interim administration will implement a lottery-based transfer system for key police officials ahead of next year’s national polls, Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury announced on Wednesday.
The measure will apply to Superintendents of Police (district chiefs) and Officers-in-Charge (police station heads), with transfers to be completed before the election schedule is announced.
The lottery system for police transfers marks a first in Bangladesh’s electoral history, designed to prevent partisan influence in police postings during the sensitive pre-election period.
The decision came during a high-level meeting to finalize a comprehensive law enforcement framework for the upcoming elections.
Chowdhury emphasized the administration’s commitment to a “free, fair, and impartial” election for the nation’s democratic transition.
The announcement follows Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ Tuesday announcement that the parliamentary elections would likely be moved forward to February from the previously scheduled April timeline.
The government will deploy some 800,000 security personnel nationwide during the election. It will provide body cameras for senior officers at all 47,000 polling stations, and specialized election duty training will be provided to all law enforcement personnel
“With media cooperation and divine grace, we’re confident of delivering a credible election,” Chowdhury told reporters in Dhaka.
Once the election schedule is announced, all law enforcement agencies will operate under the Election Commission’s authority, the adviser added.
Each security agency will conduct its own training programs to prepare personnel for election duties.
