Govt issues gazette appointing new SPs in 64 districts ahead of national polls

The interim government has issued a gazette regarding the appointment of new superintendents of police (SPs) across all 64 districts ahead of the 13th national election.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the notification today (26 November) regarding the appointments, which includes the withdrawal of 13 SPs and transfers of the 51 others.

The 13 districts from which the superintendents of police have been withdrawn are: Moulvibazar, Rangpur, Sunamganj, Sherpur, Kurigram, Pirojpur, Sirajganj, Naogaon, Lakshmipur, Cox's Bazar, Chapainawabganj, Kushtia and Bhola.

Earlier on Monday (24 November), postings for the SPs were finalised through a lottery held at the Chief Adviser's Office.

The decision came following a two-hour meeting held last Saturday (22 November) at the home ministry, where officials discussed policies regarding police appointments and transfers during the election period. In continuation of that discussion, the SPs for all 64 districts were selected through the lottery process.

SPs of 64 districts finalised through lottery

According to sources, officers who had previously served as SPs were excluded at the initial stage. A "fit list" was then prepared after scrutinising officials from the 25th, 27th, and 28th batches of the police cadre. The final 64 SPs were selected from this list and will be posted to districts gradually.

Illustration: TBS

Sources at the home ministry and Police Headquarters said the 64 districts were categorised into three groups — A, B, and C — based on district-level importance such as size, administrative significance, and geographical considerations. The newly selected SPs were then assigned to districts within these three categories through a second round of lottery.

Sources added that under the new arrangement, the SPs currently posted in 50 districts will remain in service but will be transferred to different districts. Fourteen newly appointed SPs have also been included in the list, while SPs from 14 districts have been withdrawn.

Among the newly appointed officers, four are from the 25th BCS batch and the remaining ten from the 27th batch, sources said.

Home ministry and Police Headquarters officials earlier said that following the chief adviser's instructions, a committee was given the list of eligible officers, and it was decided that district-wise postings would be determined by lottery. This also led to the suspension of joining orders for newly appointed SPs in six districts last week, as they too were included in the lottery system.

Police Headquarters sources further said the next phase will involve appointing officers-in-charge (OCs) to police stations through a similar lottery. Names of honest, competent, and neutral inspectors have already been collected from unit chiefs, and a "fit list" has been prepared. At the same time, initiatives have begun to clear the long-pending promotion backlog of senior officers.

On 22 November, a two-hour meeting at the home ministry discussed policies regarding police recruitment and transfers during the election period. Yesterday's SP selection through the lottery followed those discussions.

A senior Police Headquarters official, requesting anonymity, said the lottery method was introduced to avoid any controversy surrounding election-time policing.

"This will help ensure the deployment of neutral officers at the field level," the official said.

The 64 new superintendents of police are:

1. Md Anisuzzaman, Cumilla
2. Mohammad Jasim Uddin, Kushtia
3. Muhammad Shamsul Alam Sarkar, Tangail
4. Dr Chowdhury Md. Zaber Sadeque, Jamalpur
5. Md Menhazul Alam, Munshiganj
6. Mosammat Yeasmin Khatun, Habiganj
7. Md Mizanur Rahman, Mymensingh
8. Md Marufat Hossain, Rangpur
9. Md Shahadat Hossain, Bogura
10. Md Nazrul Islam, Faridpur
11. Md Kamrul Islam, Sherpur
12. Mohammad Naimul Hasan, Rajshahi
13. Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury, Bagerhat
14. Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Munshi, Narayanganj
15. Mirza Sayem Mahmud, Khagrachhari
16. Syed Rafiqul Islam, Jashore
17. Md Rabiul Hasan, Chandpur
18. Md Saiful Islam Shantu, Sirajganj
19. Md Shafiqul Islam, Feni
20. Dr S M Forhad Hossain, Kishoreganj
21. Md Arefin Jewel, Satkhira
22. Md Shahidullah Kawsar, Bhola
23. Md Abdullah Al Faruk, Narsingdi
24. Shah Md Abdur Rauf, Brahmanbaria
25. Md Habibur Rahman, Magura
26. Mohammad Nazir Ahmed Khan, Chattogram
27. Muhammad Abdur Rakib, Rangamati
28. Ehteshamul Haque, Madaripur
29. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Khulna
30. Md Mizanur Rahman, Jhalakathi
31. Md Mahfuz Afzal, Jhenaidah
32. Gautam Kumar Bishwas, Chapainawabganj
33. TM Mosharrof Hossain, Noakhali
34. Mohammad Monjur Morshed, Rajbari
35. Mohammad Monirul Islam, Chuadanga
36. Md Asaduzzaman, Lalmonirhat
37. Raunak Jahan, Shariatpur
38. Mina Mahmud, Joypurhat
39. Md Rabiul Islam, Panchagarh
40. Md Anwar Zahid, Pabna
41. Abu Bashar Mohammad Zakir Hossain, Sunamganj
42. Mohammad Manzur Ahmed Siddiquee, Pirojpur
43. Md Sharif Uddin, Gazipur
44. Md Belal Hossain, Thakurgaon
45. Md Abdur Rahman, Bandarban
46. Ujjal Kumar Ray, Meherpur
47. Mohammad Al Mamun Shikder, Narail
48. Md Abu Yusuf, Patuakhali
49. Farzana Islam, Barishal
50. Md Jasim Uddin, Gaibandha
51. Khandaker Fazle Rabbi, Kurigram
52. Mohammad Tariqul Islam, Naogaon
53. Md Jedan Al Musa, Dinajpur
54. Muhammad Abdul Wahab, Natore
55. Md Habibullah, Gopalganj
56. ANM Sazedur Rahman, Cox's Bazar
57. Qazi Akther Ul Alam,Sylhet
58. Md Mizanur Rahman,Dhaka
59. Sheikh Zahidul Islam, Nilphamari
60. Md. Abu Tareq,Lakshmipur
61. Mohammad Sarwar Alam, Manikganj
62. Mohammad Billal Hossain, Moulvibazar
63. Md Qudrat E Khuda, Barguna
64. Md Tariqul Islam, Netrokona