Work With Innovative Power And Idea: PM To Public Servants

"Carrying out routine work is not enough. Those who work at the field level will also have to have innovative power and find out the potentiality of their respective areas. They will also have to work keeping in the mind that how the country could be developed," she said.

Describing the members of the civil service as architects of building bright future of the nation, Sheikh Hasina asked them to accomplish their responsibilities by remaining resolute on the oath they have taken on the last day of their training.

In this connection, the Prime Minister referred to the speech given by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on February 1 in 1972, in which the great leader urged the cabinet members and government employees to dedicate themselves to the service of the people and give place the national interests above all things.

"I hope that you will realize the essence of this comments of the Father of the Nation and deal the problems of the public with heart," she said.

The Prime Minister was addressing the concluding function of the 92nd and 93rd Law and Administration Courses organized by BCS Administration Academy in the capital.

State Minister for Public Administration Ismat Ara Sadique and Senior Secretary of the Ministry Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury were present at the function as special guests, while Rector of the BCS Administration Sohrab Hossain delivered the welcome address.

Jannatul Ferdous and Syed Ashrafuzzaman, who won the Rector's Awards, expressed their feelings about the experiences they gathered from the courses.

Earlier, the Prime Minister handed over certificates among 159 participants who successfully completed the two courses.

She also handed over the Rector's Award of 92nd Law and Administrative Course to Jannatul Ferdous and the Rector's Award of the 93rd Law and Administrative Course to Syed Ashrafuzzaman for their brilliant performance in the courses.

Reminding the government employees that they are servants of the people, Sheikh Hasina said it has been mentioned in Article 21(2) of the constitution: "Every person in the service of the Republic has a duty to strive at all times to serve the people."

"Wherever you will work, only Bangladesh and the people of the country would remain before you. You will have to know the history and tradition of our beloved motherland. You will have to know the endless sacrifice our predecessors embraced to liberate the country."

The Prime Minister said the work on incorporating more practical exercises in the training course curriculum is underway to build service-oriented structure of the fresh officers. "I hope that the BCS Administration Academy would adopt new and time-befitting plans to this end," she said.

Terming training as an investment and very crucial for building skilled human resources, she said the government has given importance to training for this. "I have given order to raise the standard of training side by side with infrastructure development," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said arrangement for specialized training is being made in every field including agriculture, education, health, engineering and vocational alongside administration.

As per the necessity, she said, the government has raised the duration of training and formulated a roadmap to remove training jam. "I hope that all backlogs would be removed in the middle of 2017 if the roadmap is followed," she said.

Putting emphasis on duty-based practical training instead of classroom-based training, the Prime Minister said importance will have to be given on e-learning which will take Digital Bangladesh concept forward further.

Sheikh Hasina said online course on conducting mobile course, Public Procurement Management, Public Service Innovation has been prepared under the joint initiatives of Access to Information (a2i) Programme under the prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Public Administration.

"None will have to leave the office to receive this training," she said.

The Prime Minister said the BCS Administration Academy would arrange training on Techniques of Team Building, On-the-Job Training and other subjects and all grassroots-level officials could take part in it. "I belief that the administration will be more dynamic and pro-people due to it," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the one of the aims of the independence was economic freedom of the people of the country. To achieve the goal, Bangabandhu embarked on rebuilding the war-ravaged Bangladesh after independence.

She said Bangabandhu had placed Bangladesh on a solid foundation lifting it from the rubble of destruction. But the wheels of Bangladesh's development stopped after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975, she said.

The Prime Minister said after assuming office in 1996, the Awami League government started implementation of the country's development programmes. "We turned Bangladesh into a food surplus country from a food-deficit one and we were able to bring a positive change in every sector including agriculture, education, health, communication, power and infrastructure," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has been turned into a role model, thanks to tremendous successes in every field in the last six and a half years. "The GDP rate has been increased to 6.51 percent, while inflation has come down to 6.3 percent from 13 percent," she said.

The Prime Minister said the country would have achieved seven percent GDP growth in the current fiscal had the BNP not unleashed destructive politics like hartals and blockades for over three months since January this year.

"While talking about the development of the education sector, she said no country could be developed without an educated nation," she said and assured that her government would make education free completely if the country earns more economic solvency.

The Prime Minister said there is a touch of Digital Bangladesh in every tier of the administration. "We have implemented electronic filing system in 64 districts, seven divisional commissioner offices, the Prime Minister's Office and 14 ministries including cabinet division and three directorates and you gave leadership directly and indirectly to this programme.

Sheikh Hasina said innovation team has been formed at field and ministry levels under the leadership of administrative cadre. This team is giving services to the people at short time, low cost and without hassle and innovation fund is being provided by the a2i to execute this programme.

The Prime Minister said her government has framed the "Public Administration Medal Policy" to speed up the work of the government officials.

Describing her government's steps of giving promotion to the officers in the administration during last six and a half years, the Prime Minister said no government in the past had given such huge number of promotions.

"Besides giving promotions 325 posts have been created from the deputy secretary to above posts...it may not make happy to all, but attention will have to be given so that none is deprived of promotion in future," she said.

Sheikh Hasina in her speech also elaborated various achievements of her government at the national and international levels.

She said Bangladesh's victory over maritime demarcation cases against India and Myanmar, signing of Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and CHT Peace Treaty as well as adoption of Land Boundary Agreement in the Indian Parliament are her government's political and diplomatic successes.

"We have solved all problems bilaterally," she said.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol