The authorities have relieved 19 presiding officers of their duties in Gazipur-1 constituency on allegations of campaigning for the ruling party candidate, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque. All the relieved presiding officers are teachers of different educational institutions.
Hossain Mohammad Hye, assistant returning officer and upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Kaliakair, confirmed the development to Prothom Alo, without identifying the relieved presiding officers.
“Since they all are teachers, I do not want to disclose their names,” the UNO said responding to a query regarding their identities.
The authorities provided election training to an additional number of officials, considering emergency situations like physical ailment and other adversities.
According to sources at the assistant returning officer's office, an independent candidate of the constituency, Rezaul Kairm, lodged a complaint against the 19 presiding officers on 2 January. He demanded that the general secretary of upazila primary teachers association, Dewan Md Arif, and 18 other teachers be relieved due to their campaign in favour of the ruling party candidate.
The election authorities took the complaint into cognizance and exempted the 19 teachers from the charge of presiding officer in the forthcoming national election.
While talking to Prothom Alo, Dewan Md Arif claimed that he did not campaign for any candidate and that someone might have misguided the election officials, which eventually translated into their removal.
UNO Hossain Mohammad Hye said the authorities provided election training to an additional number of officials, considering emergency situations like physical ailment and other adversities.
“Hence, it has been decided to keep those facing allegations in reserve, instead of deploying them in the field,” he added.