Upazila Nirbahi Officer

In Bangladesh Upazila Nirbahi Officer (often abbreviated UNO, Bengali: উপজেলা নির্বাহী অফিসার) is the chief executive of an upazila (sub-district). A junior-level officer of the Bangladesh Civil Service (Administration Cadre). A senior assistant secretary is usually assigned to this post.

History

UNO is created in accordance with a decision by the military regime of Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. In 1982, the Ershad government constituted a committee for administrative reorganization and reform. One of the committee's major recommendations was to create a representative body called Upazila Porishod (council) under a directly elected chair. The government created the position of thana nirbahi officer (thana executive officer) later renaming it Upazila Nirbhahi Officer—in each of the existing thanas (later upgraded and renamed upazila) outside the metropolitan areas.

About the same time subdivisions were upgraded and converted into districts. Responsibility for all development activities at the local level transferred to the Upazila Porishods. It was also decided that the UNO should continue chair the Upazila Porishods until an elected chair took office.

UNOs were normally posted from among the senior officers called "Senior Assistant Secretary" of the BCS Administration cadre.

Charter of duties

Functions include:

• act as staff officer to the elected chair
• assist the chair in supervising administrative/development work and in preparing an upazila development plan;
• exercise powers under section 144 of criminal procedure code, sitting in court to take cognizance of cases, hear bail matters, grant adjournment, etc., when the upazila magistrate is unable to attend the court;
• initiate annual confidential reports (ACR) of Assistant Commissioner (land);
• aid in relief work following natural calamities and receive food and other materials for distribution under the direction of upazila parishad/chair;
• supervise and control revenue and budget administration;
• ensure the observance of all government directives on upazila administration;
• co-ordinate all upazila level training activities;
• grant casual leave and countersign the traveling allowance bills of the heads of all functional departments except munsiff;
• act as drawing and disbursing officer in respect of officers and staff working directly under him;
• supervise activities of the officers and staff working under him;
• enforce protocol
• other functions that are entrusted to him by the government or the upazila porishod/chair.

Name changes

The designation 'upazila nirbahi officer' changed to 'thana nirbahi officer' upon the abolition of the upazila system in the early 1990s. This changed designation again, reverting to 'upazila nirbahi officer' in the late 1990s.