Election Commissioner Md Alamgir has said the Election Commission will not take any initiative to transfer any field-level administration and police officials unless there is a valid reason for it.

"If an official's actions demonstrate that they are not neutral, the EC will take steps to transfer them. We will take such initiatives only after it is found to be true," he told reporters at his office yesterday.

Alamgir said the commission moved on transferring the Jamalpur deputy commissioner even before the announcement of the schedule for the national election as he spoke in favour of the local lawmaker from the ruling party.

According to the Representation of the People Order-1972, officials like divisional commissioners, commissioners of metropolitan police and all their subordinate officials cannot be transferred without permission from the EC, he said. "The government cannot transfer them even if it wants to."

Alamgir said transferring thousands of officials of the field-level administration and police might create a chaos.

"Who will take the responsibility for the big chaos that would be caused in the administration or in maintaining law and order, running the country, and conducting elections?" he asked.

About the allegations of the violation of the electoral code of conduct by Awami League and Jatiya Party nomination seekers, the election commissioner said overcrowding in front of the party offices is "not a violation" of the code of conduct.

However, overcrowding before the offices of the returning offices is a violation of the code, he added.

Alamgir said some people may celebrate the buying of a nomination paper by a candidate, but they are not seeking votes for a particular candidate, rather they are seeking votes for the party.

He said taking out any processions of motorcycles or cars is a violation of the code of conduct.

Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, a former election commissioner, said this may be the EC's interpretation of the electoral code of conduct.

"But such activities of the lawmaker hopefuls and their supporters are clear violations of the code which is applicable to all political parties and candidates," he told The Daily Star on Tuesday.

In a clear violation of the code, supporters of AL MP hopefuls flocked the party's central office on Bangabandhu Avenue between Saturday and Tuesday with motorcades, marching bands, festoons, and placards. The party sold nomination forms during those days.

Many Jatiya Party leaders also flouted the code while collecting nomination forms from the party chairman's Banani office.