Upazila Nirbahi Officer

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

The role of the UNO was 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 was transferred to the Upazila Porishods. It was also decided that the UNO should continue to 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.

Functions include:

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.

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