Power is matter of responsibility to take the country forward: HPM Sheikh Hasina

"To somebody power is a matter of consumerism and to somebody it's a great responsibility to the nation, and we are the next one," she said while addressing the signing ceremony of Annual Performance Agreement (APA) with the ministries and divisions at her Tejgaon office here on Thursday.

Sheikh Hasina said, "We have seen nature of different political parties in the past. But the party, which has originated from grassroots people with a vision to change the socio-political condition of the people, have different thinking for unlikely those people who grab power suddenly."

The prime minister said political parties must take into their consideration what they give people in exchange of taking their votes. The Awami League government could bring many successes for the nation and living quality of the people has been improved at least to a certain level because of the party's good thinking for the people, she said.

Urging the government officials to work sincerely to implement the works under APA, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh would certainly be able to achieve its cherished economic goal by 2021 and 2041 if everybody works hard a little bit with devotion.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh now has acquired the capacity to implement ninety percent of its budget with its own resources. So the civil servants should remain careful to check misuse of the public fund. Every project should be taken considering the benefit of the people, she said.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith and minister for Public Administration Syed Ashraful Islam, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Safiul Alam, PM's Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad addressed the function.

Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Nasima Begum and Secretary of the Cabinet Division (coordination and reforms) N M Zeaul Alam also spoke on the occasion.

The senior secretaries and secretaries in charge of various ministries and divisions handed over a copy of their respective Annual Performance Agreement to the Prime Minister.

The APA is an internal mechanism of the civil administration to ensure accountability of the government officials aimed at evaluating yearly performances of the civil servants and making them accountable to their responsibilities.

The government, for the third year, has signed the Annual Performance Agreement (APA) with the ministries and divisions which has also included divisional and district level offices of the government.

Under the agreement the ministries ascertain vision, mission and strategic goals in consistence with the development priorities of the government, short and long term plans, and allocation and business and budgetary allocation of the ministry.

The Prime Minister hoped that the APA would help improve the efficiency and accountability of the government offices and expedite the implementation of government policies and programmes under an intensive monitoring system.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the officials to remain careful so that the pace of progress doesn't hamper. "Economic development, welfare of the people and improving their living condition are the core philosophy of this government," she said.

She also urged the officials to involve with the development activities of the government saying the government officials have to motivate people how to dream.

"People have to understand that we are doing everything for the welfare of our posterities. We have to give the message to the people that they would be benefitted and their life style would get impetus if the country is developed," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh was born under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with a vision to be a prosperous nation. During the short tenure of Bangabandhu, she said, Bangladesh had started its expedition towards progress. "But, unfortunately the journey experienced a blow after brutal killing of Bangabandhu in 1975," she said.

"Danger may haunt you when you work for the downtrodden, which became true for Bangabandhu," she added saying killing of the Father of the Nation was not only to perish a head of a state, but also a orchestrated plot to destroy the spirit of our liberation war, foil the benefits of freedom and throw Bengali nation to vicious circle of exploitation and deprivation.

People of this country had to pay price for the killing of Bangabandhu as politics of killing, coup, conspiracy and illegal capture of power gained ground following his death, Sheikh Hasina said.

The prime minister said the country's development got momentum when the Awami League government assumed office in 1996. "But, the process could not sustain as BNP-Jamaat alliance government succeeded it in 2001, which promoted militancy, terrorism and corruption only during their regime," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her party is moving forward the country under a specific and well-thought out short and long term plan, which her party had given shape in consultation at different level of the party and on her behalf during confinement in 2007.

Saying that country's development is not possible with any ad-hoc plan, the prime minister said adding her government for the first time after Bangabandhu, has undertaken five-year plan and ten-year perspective plan for country's progress in a quickest possible time.

"People are getting the benefit of those plans and those plans set Bangladesh as a role model of development amidst global community," she said and opined that sincere efforts of civil servants has also remarkable contribution to this end.

The prime minister hoped that the APA would ensure transparency of the civil service, enhance their accountability and capacity and proper utilization of the resources which would take the country forward.

Photo: Saiful Kallol