Ensure accountability up to grassroots level: PM to govt officials

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked government officials to ensure accountability up to the grassroots level's offices across the country for building Bangladesh a developed and prosperous country by 2041.

The prime minister said this while addressing the signing ceremony of Annual Performance Agreements (APAs) for the 2023-24 fiscal year at her office in Dhaka on Wednesday.

She said, “The ministries will sign the APA with their other offices so that communication and accountability is ensured (in government offices) up to the grassroots level. If we could work in this way, we can turn Bangladesh into a developed-prosperous country by 2041.”

BSS adds: Hasina also urged the top government officials to prepare their successors competent to implement the government's action plans.

She said, "Any tough situation can be overcome or even impossible things can also be made possible, if we go forward showing sincerity towards work, having a sense of self-esteem, ensuring accountability, and staying away from corruption. Today our Bangladesh has proven it."

The ministries and divisions signed the APAs with the Cabinet Division.

The prime minister received the APAs from the secretaries of the ministries and divisions.

In the function, the APA Award for 2021-22 fiscal year and Integrity Award for 2022-23 fiscal year were provided among the government offices and officials for their excellent performance in APA implementation and rendering services.

Sheikh Hasina hoped that the government can take Bangladesh forward by overcoming both the natural and manmade disasters.

"The man-made disasters may come alongside natural calamities. We'll be able to take the country forward by overcoming all sorts of disasters. I believe it," she said.

She asked all to boost food production and not to leave a single inch of land uncultivated so that Bangladesh doesn't need to depend on others for food amid the current global situation.

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain spoke on the occasion, while Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain delivered the welcome speech.

Planning Division Secretary Satyajit Karmakar, who received the Integrity Award 2022-23, and Public Administration Secretary Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury spoke at the event.

The Public Administration Ministry has attained the first Award in the APA implementation for 2021-2022, while the Power Division and the Agricultural Ministry gained the second and third position respectively.

The ministries and divisions that attained fourth to tenth position in the implementation of APA are - finance division, ICT division, IMED, energy and mineral resources division, ministry of water resources, planning division, rural development and cooperatives division.