The interim government dismissed 876 elected representatives across the country over the last two days in a major shakeup of local administration.
It appointed administrators in 61 districts, 495 upazilas, and 330 municipalities, mainly replacing elected representatives who served under the previous Awami League government.
The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives issued separate gazette notifications on August 18 and 19 regarding the dismissals and appointments.
In the eight divisional cities, divisional commissioners will now serve as administrators of district councils. In the 53 other districts, DCs (deputy commissioners) have been appointed to the role.
District council chairmen in 60 districts were removed to make these appointments possible, while the office of the Natore district council chairman was declared vacant due to the death of the elected representative. Changes were not made in the district councils of the three Chittagong Hill Tracts districts.
Additionally, the upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) will act as administrators in 495 upazilas until further notice, following the removal of chairmen in 493 upazila parishads. The upazila parishad chairman’s office in Khulna’s Koyra upazila was declared vacant due to the death of the chairman, while Madaripur’s Dasar upazila had not held any elections since being declared a new upazila in 2021.
In a separate gazette issued by the LGRD ministry, 323 municipal mayors were removed from their office as well, alongside seven administrators who were previously appointed at different municipalities. The ministry issued yet another gazette to appoint administrators in all 330 of these municipalities. Â
