The interim government on Tuesday approved some administrative-restructuring decisions with a view to improving "transparency, efficiency and accountability" across key state institutions.
At a meeting of the National Implementation Committee on Administrative Reorganisation (NICAR) at the state guesthouse Jamuna, with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus presiding, the government gave final approval for the structural separation of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) -- a major revenue-administration reform that had initially triggered an unprecedented 'pen-down' by a section of the staff.
The recast formally divides the powerful tax authority into two distinct entities: Revenue Policy Division and Revenue Management Division.
Officials said the two new divisions would begin operation in February. According to the NBR chair, preparatory work for the split is almost complete. The reform had been announced earlier, but Tuesday's meeting gave the final administrative all-clear.
Briefing reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, the Chief Adviser's press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, said the restructuring was intended to make revenue collection "more transparent, dynamic and accountable", addressing longstanding concerns over inefficiency and concentration of power within the existing system.
The NICAR meeting approved a total of 11 administrative decisions, reflecting what officials described as a broader reform agenda under the interim administration.
Among the issues discussed was the future structure of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), currently responsible for law enforcement across 50 police stations -- a scale that officials acknowledge had become unwieldy.
The committee held preliminary discussions on whether the DMP could be divided into multiple units, potentially along north-south lines or other administrative configurations, to improve operational efficiency and law-and-order management. No final decision has yet been made, but officials indicate "the idea remains under active consideration".
Election preparedness featured prominently at the meeting. According to the press secretary, Professor Yunus stressed the importance of ensuring a free and orderly electoral environment, issuing firm instructions to recover looted firearms before polling gets underway.
"Looted weapons must be recovered by any means necessary and as quickly as possible before the election," the head of interim government was quoted as saying in his order.
In a related briefing, Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said of the country's approximately 42,000 polling centres, around 6,500 already have CCTV coverage. A special allocation of about Tk 720 million has been approved to install CCTV cameras in the remaining centres ahead of the election, set against the backdrop of political upheavals that banished the then reigning government.
The NICAR meeting also granted retrospective approval for the establishment of the July Mass Uprising Directorate, already formed under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs. The new body will be responsible for preserving the memories of the July uprising and coordinating related activities.
As part of broader administrative streamlining, the government approved the merger of the Public Security Division and the Security Services Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs, effectively restructuring the ministry's internal framework.
Under another significant decision, the two divisions under the Ministry of Health -- Health Services Division and the Health Education and Family Welfare Division -- will be reunited into a single Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Explaining the rationale, Shafiqul Alam said the original division of the ministry had been intended to improve service delivery, but experience had shown the opposite effect.
"Both healthcare services and medical education have suffered a noticeable decline in quality under the dual structure," he told reporters, adding that reunification is expected to restore coordination and momentum in the vital sector.
The meeting also approved a change in the Bangla name of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs into the Ministry of Women and Children, while retaining its English title unchanged.
The NICAR approved the creation of four new police stations: two in Purbachal, one in Raipura in Narsingdi district, and one in Matarbari, Cox's Bazar.
The Purbachal stations will be named Purbachal North Police Station (Gazipur district) and Purbachal South Police Station (Narayanganj district). The name of the new Raipura police station has yet to be finalised.
Also approved is a spelling correction for Bhulli Police Station in Thakurgaon district, which will now be officially spelled Bhulli in Bangla.
In a move with both administrative and symbolic significance, Satkhira district has been upgraded from Category B to Category A, citing its environmental heritage, tourism potential and growing economic importance.
The district includes part of the World Heritage Site Sundarbans mangrove forest and is now linked to the strategically important Bhomra land port on the Bangladesh-India frontier.
Referring to past political repression, the press secretary said: "During the previous Awami League government, the people of Satkhira faced severe oppression. Considering its national importance, it has now been upgraded to an A-category district."
Officials indicate that further reform-oriented discussions and decisions are likely in the coming months, as the interim government seeks to stabilise governance structures and ensure credible conditions for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The scale and scope of Tuesday's decisions underline the Yunus-led administration's attempt to reshape key institutions -- not only to improve day-to-day governance but also to signal a break from entrenched administrative practices ahead of a politically sensitive transition.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com
