Dhaka, Aug 8 (V7N) - Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has urged Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) to treat people as their own and discharge their duties with the highest sense of responsibility and humanity, describing public service as a sacred opportunity to stand beside the distressed and build a safe and liveable Bangladesh.
"For everyone entrusted with state responsibilities, the opportunity to serve the people is a sacred responsibility and a blessing from Allah. We must use this opportunity to stand beside the helpless and distressed and leave a safe and liveable Bangladesh for the next generation," he said while addressing a meeting with UNOs from different upazilas at his Tejgaon office.
Referring to field-level administration officials as a bridge between the government and the people, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of treating the people of their respective upazilas as their own. "You may be serving in an upazila that is not your own, but it is a part of your country. The people living there may not be from your locality, but they are your own people," he said.
The Prime Minister said not all social problems could be addressed through laws alone, noting that many could be resolved through education and public awareness. He urged UNOs to take a more proactive role in building public awareness in their respective areas.
Highlighting the role of field administration in protecting the environment, he said Dhaka's pollution situation had improved recently and called for further efforts to build on the progress. He urged UNOs to encourage people to plant more trees and promote local sports, saying involvement in sports develops discipline among young people. "Sports can be organised around any good local occasion, even on the birthday of a local person," he said.
Expressing concern over the decline of human values, the Prime Minister said people were gradually losing compassion and becoming increasingly insensitive. "If this tendency continues to grow, social harmony will be undermined. So, you have to take initiatives in your respective areas to foster compassion and empathy among people," he said.
The Prime Minister praised UNOs for completing canal excavation projects with integrity and returning surplus funds to the national exchequer. "You have set a positive example for the government and the people. This gives me confidence that you can do many good things for the people," he said.
UNOs briefed the Prime Minister on changes in local agriculture and water management, noting that areas producing two crops a year were now producing three. The Prime Minister said 20,000 kilometres of canals would be excavated across the country in phases to restore the traditional character of riverine Bangladesh and address declining groundwater levels.
The meeting was attended by 83 UNOs who had returned surplus funds from canal excavation projects. PM's Adviser on Public Administration Ismail Zabihullah, State Minister Md. Abdul Bari, Cabinet Secretary Dr Nasimul Gani, and senior PMO officials were also present.
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