DCs of last 3 national polls to be made OSD, retired forcibly

Government officials who served as deputy commissioners (DC) as well as returning officers during the last three controversial parliamentary elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024 will either be made officers on special duty (OSD) or sent into forced retirement.

Those who have completed 25 years of service will be forcibly retired, while those yet to reach this tenure will be made OSD. Already, 22 former DCs who have completed 25 years of service have been sent into forced retirement.

Mokhlesur Rahman, senior secretary to the public administration ministry, announced the decision while talking to the media at the secretariat on Thursday. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the government reassigned 33 joint secretaries and equivalent officials as officers on special duty (OSDs) and attached them to the public administration ministry.

They all served as deputy commissioners (DCs) as well as returning officers during the controversial parliamentary elections in 2018.

The public administration ministry made the announcement through six separate gazette notifications on Wednesday. The ministry noted that the orders had been issued in the public interest, without specifying any reasons.