DHAKA, July 25, 2017 (BSS)- Asking the deputy commissioners (DCs) to consider the public welfare as their foremost priority, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said sincerity, performance and efficiency of the top district officials can change the living standard of the people.
“Whatever decisions we take it depends on you for their implementation at field level. Your sincerity, performance and efficiency can change the living standard of the people of this country,” she said hoping that the DCs will always keep this in mind while performing their duties.
The prime minister was inaugurating a three-day conference of the DCs at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) here today.
Giving 23-point specific directives to the DCs, the prime minister asked the top district level officials to take firm stand against corruption at any cost saying the people will not get benefit of development if corruption persists there. She urged the DCs to make people aware against corruption.
Sheikh Hasina also laid importance on a sustainable democratic system in the country saying a country can prosper under a constant democratic system. The people of Bangladesh could realise this during military regimes. After taking office by Awami League in 1996, she said, people for the first time could realise that the government is for the people.
It’s the fourth DC’s Conference during the current tenure of the government when the field level top officials get scopes of exchanging views directly with the ministers and policymakers of the government on policy issues and ascertain strategies to implement the government policies, development programmes and priorities.
Minister for Public Administration Syed Ashraful Islam, State Minister of the Ministry of Public Administration Ismat Ara Sadeq and Cabinet Secretary M Shafiul Alam and PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury addressed the function, among others.
On behalf of the field level officials Divisional Commissioner of Mymensingh GM Salauddin, Deputy Commissioner of Jessore Ashraf Uddin, Deputy Commissioner of Chandpur Abdus Sabur Mondol and Deputy Commissioner of Faridpur Begum Umme Slama Tanzia also spoke on the occasion.
Cabinet members, Chief Coordinator for SDGs Affairs in PMO Abul Kalam Azad, secretaries and senior officials were present.
Sheikh Hasina said the country must be protected from the evils of militancy and drug. Public awareness should be created against them as unity of the people can defeat these evil menaces, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said deputy commissioners must keep in touch with the people to know about their problems and resolve those with innovativeness. The DCs have to explore the potentials of their districts and come up with necessary plans to exploit the potentials, she said.
Considering the heavy torrential rain, flood and river erosion the prime minister asked the DCs to take necessary measures for keeping the loss of people to a minimum level and rehabilitate the homeless people. Expressing government’s firm commitment, the prime minister said her government would do everything necessary for the affected people.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh was liberated to get rid of long deprivation on economic, social and administrative and security front during the colonial rule. “As an independent nation Bangladesh must go ahead independently in every sector. Many countries would want to play with us. But, it doesn’t matter, if the people are with us,” she added.
The Awami League government is striving to change the lot of people and this helped her government receiving an enormous support of the countrymen, she said adding after liberation Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave the shape of his vision in the constitution to build the nation.
But, his dream could not come true due to the orchestrated conspiracy at home and abroad. The post 1975 rulers in collaboration with the anti- liberation forces tried to make Bangladesh a failed state. But their conspiracy could not be successful as the people elected Awami League to power in 1996.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is moving forward in every sector including food production due to the pragmatic development plan of the Awami League government. BNP didn’t want to make the country self-reliant in food production aimed at begging to other countries for aids and keeping the country dependent on others. BNP’s suicidal policy pushed the country backward in every filed including literacy, food production and power generation during their 2001-2006 era, she said.
Asking the DCs to remain alert so that people don’t become victims of harassment and deprivation in receiving government services, she called upon them to work together with public representatives in establishing good governance at the grassroots level.