As preparations intensify for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election on February 12, the interim government has initiated a reshuffle of administrative officials to ensure a free, fair, and neutral electoral process. As part of this move, several officers from the 36th BCS batch have been appointed as Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs).
Amid these appointments, Shakhi Sef, a 36th batch officer newly posted as the UNO of Golapganj upazila in Sylhet, has reportedly received repeated death threats even before assuming office. According to multiple sources, she has been warned through social media and other platforms that she would not be allowed to “set foot on the holy land of Shahjalal” and that “revenge in blood” would be taken upon her arrival.
The interim government undertook the reshuffle with the stated objective of appointing non-partisan officials at the upazila level. However, several newly appointed officers have faced allegations of past involvement with the ruling Awami League or its affiliated student wing during their student life. In some cases, allegations have also been raised regarding the political affiliations of their spouses or family members. In response to these objections, some appointments have already been cancelled, while others have encountered resistance when attempting to assume their new postings.
Earlier, a senior official of the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner’s Office, Shibani Sarkar, reportedly failed to assume her duties in Narayanganj following protests by a group identifying itself as “Touhidi Janata”. Posts questioning her service record were also circulated on social media platforms linked to the July Movement.
Following recent electronic media reports on several UNO appointments, activists associated with the July Movement have again become vocal. In Golapganj, members of Touhidi Janata are alleged to have issued explicit threats against Shakhi Sef. Social media comments and media reports indicate that she previously held important administrative positions in the Dhaka division and was known by some as a neutral, professional officer. Supporters argue that this track record was the reason behind her appointment by the Ministry of Public Administration.
Despite this, anonymous and named social media accounts have accused her of being aligned with the Awami League and have continued to issue threats. One individual, identified as Abanti Ayesha, wrote on social media that she would not be allowed to enter Golapganj, invoking past political violence and vowing retaliation upon her arrival.
Public administration experts have expressed grave concern over such open threats against a serving government official, calling the situation unacceptable. They have urged authorities to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
Sylhet-based human rights activist Arif Chowdhury commented that although the appointed officer herself may not be politically affiliated, allegations regarding her husband’s links to a banned political group could create operational challenges in the upazila. He suggested that the Ministry of Public Administration could have considered the matter more carefully to avoid controversy.
Meanwhile, the current UNO of Golapganj, Milton Chandra Pal, stated that Shakhi Sef had contacted him earlier to express her intention to apply for the post. However, he said he was unaware of the reasons why she later refrained from assuming charge.