The Election Commission (EC) has issued circulars appointing returning officers of District Commissioners (DCs) for conducting the upcoming 12th National Assembly elections.

This information was known from the EC on Thursday. 64 District Commissioners or Deputy Commissioners will serve as Returning Officers and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) will serve as Assistant Returning Officers. A circular has been issued in this regard.

Besides the DCs, EC’s own officers also showed interest in performing the duty of Returning Officer. In this case, the demand was made to select officials from the commission and give this responsibility. But in the end the demand was not taken into consideration. As a result, Desirai is going to perform the duty of returning officer in the upcoming national elections.

EC has been organizing local government elections and by-elections of National Parliament with its own officials. But the EC is still relying on administration officials to conduct the National Assembly elections. DCs have been appointed as returning officers in the upcoming twelfth national parliament elections as well as the eleventh national parliament elections.

Divisional Commissioners for constituencies of Dhaka and Chittagong cities and returning officers of District Commissioners for other constituencies have been appointed to conduct the elections. In addition, UNOs have been appointed Assistant Returning Officers for each Upazila and in some cases Additional Deputy Commissioners, Zonal Executive Officers of City Corporations, Deputy Directors, Local Governments, Cantonment Executive Officers, Upazila-Thana Election Officers or any other officer.

The working areas of returning officers and assistant officers have also been determined. The Assistant Returning Officers shall render all assistance to the Returning Officer as per law and rules in conducting the election. Among them, a notification has been issued regarding the recruitment of Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officer.