The lottery process for transferring officers-in-charge and superintendents of police before the 2026 election is not a one-size-fits-all solution to irregularities that have plagued many past elections, experts told Stream.
Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on 6 August told reporters that they decided to introduce a lottery system to assign OCs and SPs before the Election Commission (EC) announces the poll schedule.
All of the experts agreed that the measure would be incomplete without other steps like background checks, while one said the lottery system would be ineffective.
Md Shamsul Alam, Professor of the government and politics department at Jahangirnagar University, said, "The lottery process is only applicable when there are too many officials shortlisted for a single area, except that there is no need to go for a lottery process at all," he said.
"I don't think this lottery process can ensure any transparency; rather, it feels like a way to avoid responsibility," he said.
Shamsul also stressed that the last three elections were controversial.
"It is important to scrutinise the background of those who were in charge [SPs and OCs] during those elections [2014, 2018, and 2024]. I mean, how they performed, what kind of work they did, and whether they had political backing," he said.
"Not all police officers left the country after Hasina's fall. There are still many SPs and OCs who worked in Hasina's favour and still exist within the system. That's why background checks are important. This task can be done by government agencies such as DGFI, NSI, and others," he added.
"Now that everything is digitalised, it should not take much time to conduct such background checks with some data review. I don't think the lottery process is a good method for handling such transfers," he added.
Professor Shahnaz Huda, a member of the Police Reform Commission and an executive member of Shushasoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), says, "We recommended institutional reforms to prevent political influence. If these reforms are implemented properly, the police will no longer be able to take sides.
"However, the EC and foreign observers must exercise a strong monitoring process during polling."
Shahnaz said the lottery process looks positive, but it is equally important to ensure the proper monitoring process to check whether the assigned authorities (OCs, SPs, and DCs) work properly.
"Apart from the police, there are also influential actors in rural areas who are not involved in the election but can exert pressure or influence. Measures must be taken so that they cannot interfere on election day," she said.
"These will take time, and I am not saying that it can be fixed in a single day. But the process must begin, and once it starts, it must be sustained with commitment," she added.
Regarding the postings of DCs, Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on 6 August, "The Ministry of Public Administration will decide how to handle the DCs' postings. We hope they will follow a similar approach.
"80,000 members of law enforcement agencies will be deployed for the election, and all of them will receive training."
The chief adviser's office sent a letter to the EC on Wednesday to complete all necessary preparations for holding the national election in February 2026.
Existing officers (SPs, OCs, DCs) will be reposted to different areas through a lottery held openly. The reshuffling will be completed just before the election schedule is announced, and the transfer authority falls under the jurisdiction of the EC. However, the commission can still make changes if deemed necessary, Jahangir said.
Professor Gazi Jahid, another member of SHUJAN's executive central committee, told Stream that interference in polling centres outside Dhaka is quite significant.
"This was not only during the Awami League tenure but also with the BNP, Jatiya Party, and even under the caretaker government… elections have not been conducted in a truly transparent manner," he said.
"In this regard, the EC should form a separate monitoring committee that is completely neutral, to oversee whether the officials (SPs, DCs, OCs) work properly," Jahid said.
Jahid said the background of returning officers must be thoroughly checked before assigning their duties.
"Careful attention should be given to ensure that no candidate or party receives any undue advantage from the DC's office. Without these measures, the lottery process will not be very effective," he said.
"I am currently in Barishal, where many influential individuals, who are not directly involved in politics, still have a strong impact on elections. Immediate oversight on this issue is essential. If these points are followed, then the lottery process can bring about positive changes."
The EC in Bangladesh has faced widespread criticism over the last three national elections.
2014
In 2014, the EC presided over polls in which 153 MPs were elected uncontested following a boycott by the main opposition parties, which raised serious questions about its impartiality and willingness to foster a competitive environment.
2018
In 2018, reports abounded that ballot-stuffing took place the night before election day. But the EC remained conspicuously silent, according to media reports.
In many cases, law enforcement agencies and civil administration were complicit. Returning officers (often deputy commissioners appointed by the EC) were accused of facilitating the irregularities.
2024
In 2024, the voter turnout was very low as major parties boycotted the election.
Beyond procedural failures, the EC itself has grappled with corruption controversies.
Arrested former chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal, in his confessional statement to a Dhaka court on 26 June 2025, said the 2024 national election was a "dummy and fabricated exercise".
Official figures suggested a low voter turnout of about 40%, though critics say even those numbers may be inflated. In comparison, the last election in 2018 had a voter turnout of more than 80%, reports the BBC.
Political analyst Badiul Alam Majumder told the BBC that the EC was inflating the voter turnout.
"From different sources and media reports, we have seen that the turnout [number provided by the EC] doesn't match reality," he said.
Caretaker government regime (1996-2001)
The previous caretaker governments (1996, 2001, and 2007) in Bangladesh did not appoint SPs, UNOs, OCs, or other election-related officials through a lottery system, but they conducted large-scale administrative reshuffles and reassignments based on direct evaluation to ensure a politically neutral environment during elections.
According to the "Non‑Party Caretaker Government in Bangladesh (1991‑2001): Dilemma for Democracy?" published by Developing Country Studies and written by Md Nazrul Islam, the caretaker government in 2001, led by Justice Latifur Rahman, carried out extensive administrative reshuffling.
It transferred and appointed a total of 491 officials, including OCs at all police stations, according to the journal.
Among those reassigned were 22 officials of secretary or equivalent rank, 11 additional secretaries, 29 joint secretaries, 67 deputy secretaries, six divisional commissioners, and 10 deputy commissioners (DCs), reports the journal.
Additionally, fresh appointments were made to 30 DC posts and 111 upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) positions, reports the journal.
According to the book "Electoral Corruption in Bangladesh" (Ashgate, 2001), written by Muhammad Yeahia Akhter of University of Chittagong, during the 1996 caretaker government led by Justice Habibur Rahman, more than 300 to 350 administrative officials, including SPs, DCs, UNOs, and OCs, were transferred.
They were transferred as they were considered politically biased. The government removed them from key areas and appointed comparatively neutral officers to key posts, according to Akhter's book and a 1996 Human Rights Watch report.
There is no recorded precedent of any caretaker government in Bangladesh using an automated or lottery-based method for postings.
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