The interim government has finalized the appointments of Superintendents of Police (SPs) for all 64 districts through a lottery system, ahead of the forthcoming 13th national parliamentary elections.

The lottery was conducted on Monday at the residence of the Chief Adviser, Jamuna, with Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali, senior officials from the Home Ministry, and representatives from the Chief Adviser’s office in attendance.

According to officials from Police Headquarters and the Home Ministry, the lottery drew from a pre-screened pool of officers belonging to the 25th, 27th, and 28th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) police batches. Officers who had previously served as SPs were excluded from consideration. From this vetted list, 64 officers were selected, and their postings will become effective following government approval.

Authorities indicated that the lottery-based appointment process was adopted to ensure transparency and avoid potential controversies associated with election-time policing. The method is intended to strengthen public confidence in the impartiality of law enforcement during the electoral period.

An official order regarding the SP appointments is expected to be issued by the Home Ministry imminently, according to ministry sources.

Officials also noted that similar lottery-based procedures are planned for upcoming reshuffles involving Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs) and police station Officers-in-Charge (OCs). Lists of qualified inspectors for these positions have already been prepared, suggesting that the government aims to extend the transparent selection approach across multiple tiers of police administration.

The move comes amid preparations for the 13th national parliamentary elections, highlighting the interim administration’s emphasis on minimizing bias and ensuring neutrality within law enforcement agencies. By adopting a lottery system, the government seeks to mitigate risks of partiality in the deployment of police leadership across the country’s districts.

The SP appointments, once formalized, will be responsible for overseeing law and order, election security, and coordination with other law enforcement units during the election period. Observers note that the impartiality of district-level police leadership will play a crucial role in maintaining public trust in the electoral process.

In addition to SP placements, the forthcoming lottery-based reassignment of DIGs and OCs is expected to standardize postings at higher and mid-level police positions, further strengthening mechanisms designed to ensure neutral policing ahead of the national vote.