The Election Commission today ordered withdrawal of the commissioners of two metropolitan police units, one deputy commissioner, and five superintendents of police.

It also issued an order to transfer officers-in-charge of three police stations outside the districts of their present workplace.

The withdrawal and transfer decisions were taken by the commission to ensure fairness and neutrality of the 12th parliamentary election, said the EC notices issued yesterday in this regard.

The officers to be withdrawn are Barishal Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Saiful Islam; Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner Elias Sharif; Deputy Commissioner of Brahmanbaria Md Shahgir Alam; Noakhali SP Md Shahidul Islam; Habiganj SP SM Murad Ali; Pirojpur SP Md Shafiur Rahman; Satkhira SP Kazi Moniruzzaman, and Meherpur SP Md Rafiul Alam.

Meanwhile, the EC has issued letters to the senior secretaries of the home ministry's public security division and the public administration ministry to send their recommendations for the posting of experienced and compatible officials to replace the withdrawn ones.

The OCs ordered to be transferred are of Manikganj Sadar Police Station, Singair Police Station, also in Manikganj, and Sreepur Police Station in Gazipur.

Another letter was sent to the senior secretary of the public security division, seeking recommendations for the transferred OCs' replacements.

Locals in Barishal said rivals of former Barishal city corporation mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah had long been alleging that the commissioner was close to him and demanding his transfer.

BMP commissioner Saiful yesterday told this newspaper that people alleged he belonged to a group. "As such an allegation was raised against me in the last Barishal city corporation polls, I sought my own transfer but the authorities concerned asked me to continue."

Meanwhile, locals of Sylhet could not give any possible reason for the transfer of the SMP commissioner.

About the withdrawal of Noakhali SP Shahidul Islam, locals said the continuous deterioration of law and order and allegations of corruption against him could be reasons.

Shahidul had joined as the SP of Noakhali on August 1, 2021.

Even just last Friday, they said, robbers looted two gold shops in Kabirhat and killed a security guard.

On the other hand, AL leader Abdul Quader Mirza, brother of the party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader, at a rally brought allegations of corruption and supporting BNP-Jamaat against the Noakhali SP and the OC of Companiganj police.

There are also allegations of corruption against Satkhira SP Kazi Moniruzzaman.

Gold trader Sheikh Saifullah had filed a complaint against him with the IGP complaint cell at the police headquarters earlier in April, saying Moniruzzaman had took away his car and two kilograms of gold while the trader was on his way to Satkhira on February 2. The complaint is still under investigation.