Abolish 'red tape' culture: PM

FT ONLINE

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the government official should abolish so called 'red tape' culture for the welfare of the grassroots people.

"Though ‘red tape’ is not used nowadays, but its ‘cruel treatment’ remains. This cruelty must be abolished," she said.

“No file on the table of an officer should remain pending, or no project should be taken which would cause useless expenditure of the government,” Sheikh Hasina said.

The Prime Minister came up with the statement while addressing a function on National Public Service Day and distribution of the Public Administration Medal-2018 at Osmani Memorial Hall in Dhaka on Monday.

Sheikh Hasina urged the employees of the public administration to work with innovative ideas and sincerity.

“We want the public administration employees to work in their respective field applying their innovative thoughts for development of the country,” she said.

“Once upon a time government service was called as a ‘free job’- where one would get salary at the end of the month whether he/she worked or didn’t work,” she said.

“But, this perception isn’t accepted and now changed. Government employees must remember about their responsibility in doing their job as their salary comes from taxes money of people,” she added.

Pointing out the overall development of the country, Sheikh Hasina said her government has already started making the future plans for infrastructural development of capital and other cities.

“In future, we have plans to put in place a transport system including high-speedy train services for quick communication between Dhaka and other cities,” she said.

In addition, she also said we have a plan to introduce a ring road surrounding Dhaka and speedy commuting services to facilitate people to travel to the city from outskirts quickly and conveniently.

Every airport of the country would be built as an international one, she said, adding that Cox’s Bazar airport would be turned into a refuelling aerodrome while other airports would be modernised.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has undertaken a plan to set up 100 Special Economic Zones aimed at creating massive employment opportunities and save agricultural lands.

Every village would be turned into an urban area while agricultural land, forests, environment and ecology should be protected, she continued.

Sheikh Hasina said a 100-year Delta Plan has been signed with Netherlands envisaging future development plan of Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister thanked the government officials for their sincere efforts to make Bangladesh a developing country from the status of a least developed one within a very short time, overcoming all barriers.

Progress of Bangladesh was hampered repeatedly due to natural and man-made disasters. But, Bangladesh would be able to continue its present course of development on the way to be a developed nation by 2041, she hoped.

Public Administration Ministry organised the function as a part of celebrating the World Public Service Day on Monday in the country as elsewhere across the world.

The government introduced the Public Administration Award in 2016 to recognize and encourage the public administration employees for showing their excellence in the services.

A total of 39 government officials and three organisations at the national and district levels received the Public Administration Award-2018 this year.

State Minister for public administration ministry Ismat Ara Sadique and Cabinet Secretary Md. Shafiul Alam, spoke, among others, on the occasion.

Secretary of the public administration ministry Fayez Ahmed gave welcome address and conducted the award giving ceremony.

Cabinet members, PM’s advisors, Deputy Speaker, senior secretaries and secretaries of different ministries, chiefs of three services and heads of government offices attended the function.