Golam Md Baten, an officer from the 28th BCS Economic Cadre (now Administration Cadre), began his career in 2010 as an Assistant Chief at the Planning Commission. Although the Economic Cadre was abolished in November 2018 and integrated into the Administration Cadre, he continued in the same position until February 2020. His experience in field administration is minimal; he has almost no practical background as an Assistant Commissioner (Land). His only significant field posting was serving for one year and two months as an Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).
In a notification issued late on Saturday night, Baten was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Satkhira. Typically, officers appointed as DCs have at least five years of field administration experience. The unusual timing of the notification and his limited field experience have sparked discussion within the administration. Many questioned whether issuing the order in the morning would have made any difference.
Administrative governance expert Md Firoz Mia believes that inexperienced officers risk undermining election management. He stated, “I do not know on what grounds the government appointed him as DC. Without adequate field and electoral experience, this is a risky decision. With a tough election ahead, officials must build a positive image in the district before polling.”
Among the newly appointed DCs, controversy has also arisen. Sandwip Kumar Singh of the 25th BCS batch has been posted as the DC of Barguna. He served as Assistant Returning Officer in the 2014 national election and is currently facing an Anti-Corruption Commission case. Allegations of involvement with ruling-party student politics also exist. His appointment has sparked strong criticism within the administration.
Similarly, the new DC of Meherpur, Ms Lutfun Nahar, served as Assistant Returning Officer in the 2018 election. The government had earlier announced that no officer involved in the last three national elections would be posted in field administration. However, the latest notification shows that six former DCs have been transferred to larger districts—four of whom served in the 2014 election.
Sources reveal that out of 160 officers from the 28th batch initially considered, only 20 were shortlisted for DC positions, but most were excluded due to their previous election duties. Eventually, four officers from this batch were appointed among 15 new DCs. Officers from the 28th and 29th batches claim many of them were overlooked because they have less than two years of field experience.
They argue that instead of excluding entire batches, only those with controversial records should have been removed. They also believe that bypassing a whole batch for another is unprecedented and may damage the chain of command in the administration.
GLIVE/TSN