Rangamati, Dec 25, (V7N) – Members of the Public Administration Reform Commission have commented that despite 53 years since 1971, good governance has still not been established in Bangladesh. During a consultation meeting with local dignitaries and government officials in Rangamati on Tuesday, the members stated that they would prepare proposals to ensure the simplification of public services, transparency, accountability in administration, and the removal of disparities among government officials.
 
The commission emphasized that the primary focus should be on serving the people. They mentioned that a separate chapter would be added to the reform proposals specifically for the three hill districts. The meeting also saw calls for land survey in the hill areas to resolve land disputes.
 
In light of the country's ongoing multifaceted crises, including soaring commodity prices, extortion, robberies, lootings, and the control of syndicates, attendees raised concerns over a lack of effective steps to protect citizens' basic rights. They also questioned whether the actions leading to chaos at the Secretariat, demanding caste-based discrimination, were influenced by remnants of the autocratic regime.
 
The meeting, which lasted until 2:30 pm, included district commissioners, police chiefs, government officials, media representatives, and civil society members, all of whom shared their opinions with the reform committee.
 
Local leaders from Rangamati highlighted the unique challenges of the region, noting the poor state of education and health services due to corruption in the district council's teacher recruitment process. They proposed the inclusion of public administration in the recruitment committee or a national initiative to hire local teachers for the region.
 
Government employees working in the hill areas also raised concerns about administrative complexities and discriminatory management. They urged the commission to consider the unique circumstances of the hill region and make specific recommendations to the government.
 
The members of the Public Administration Reform Committee, including Dr. Mohammad Ayub Mia, Dr. Mohammad Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, Firoz Ahmed, and Mehedi Hasan, acknowledged the importance of these issues. They assured that a separate set of recommendations for the hill regions would be included in their proposal to ensure the simplification of public services and good governance.
 
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