Online Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked new Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) cadre officers to work with patriotism and sincerity as country’s development spree conducted by the government for the last 14 years isn’t hampered in anyway. “You (BCS officers) should work sincerely as the change in development, we have made in the country for the last 14 years, cannot be hampered in anyway,” she said.

The premier was addressing the certificate-giving and closing ceremony of the 127th, 128th and 129th Law and Administration Training Courses for BCS admin cadres at BCS Administration Academy in city’s Shahbagh this morning. She asked the fresh officers to imagine the condition of Bangladesh 14 years back. “Isn’t Bangladesh changed between 2009 and 2023 in every sector that include infrastructure development, food production, education, usage of digital system and others? Bangladesh has progressed a lot,” she said, reports BSS.

The prime minister, as well, directed the new officers to work with patriotism and devotion to continue the current development spree. Referring to assassination of the Father of the Nation along with most of his family members on August 15 in 1975, she said Bangladesh had been advancing towards socio-economic development with over 9 percent GDP growth and stability at that time.

She said the defeated force of 1971 is again hatching conspiracy to push the country back. She also asked the fresh officers to expedite uplift works for ensuring country’s overall development as it turned into a hunger-and-poverty free country as envisioned by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The premier said, “In accordance with the article 21 (2) of the Constitution, the government employees are always bound to serve the people. So, I want you (new officers) to work as servants of the people”. She said she became Prime Minister of Bangladesh following the footprint of her father (Bangabandhu).

“I never think myself as a prime minister. I consider myself as a servant of people. My only duty is to serve them,” Sheikh Hasina said. She called upon the new officers to go to the grassroots and work as servants of the people to ensure their welfare.

The premier also unveiled covers of three separate souvenirs— Joy Bangla (127th), Rangin Bangladesh (128th) and Elated Bangladesh (129th) — and a research paper under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) at the function.

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, Senior Secretary of the Ministry Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury and Rector of the BCS Administration Academy Mominur Rashid Amin spoke at the programme. A video documentary on the BCS Administration Academy was also screened.

Sheikh Hasina asked BCS officers to work with sincerity so that commoners can get justice and stay away from the social menaces. “Make sure that people can get rid of drugs, militancy, terrorism and corruption as these menaces destroy society and family. You should keep an eye on the matters,” she said. She also asked to stop wastage as the world is going through an economic recession. “We have to maintain austerity considering our economic condition. We have to make optimum use of our resources so that we could maintain our present economic growth,” she said.

Describing the new officers as soldiers of 2041, the premier hoped that they would take the responsibility to build Bangladesh as developed and prosperous by 2041. She said that after assuming office in 2009, the government has been able to place the country at a dignified position through tireless works of 14 years.

She reminded the countrymen that Bangladesh’s development spree was stopped completely for 29 years (1975-1996 and 2001-2008). The prime minister, as well, asked the officers to maintain honesty and love the country and its people in their all level of works.

“All time you have to go with honesty, self confidence, and self-dignity, have to love country and its people, and have to work for the welfare of the people of the country,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said public servants must not forget that their salaries and wages come from the pockets of the farmers, labourers and mass people of this country. “All our salaries and allowances come from the money that earned by the people of the country in lieu of their hard labour. So it is the duty of all to change their fates. You have to keep this matter all time in your mind,” she said. She also told the fresh officers that serving people should be the biggest task of their lives.

She called upon the freshers to know the true history of the Liberation War or how much struggle and sacrifice Bangabandhu endured for achieving the country’s independence, by reading the Ausamapta Atmajiboni (The Unfinished Memoirs: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman), Karagarer Rojnamcha (The Prison Diaries), Amar Dekha Naya Chin (The New China as I Saw), and the volumes of books on the Pakistani intelligence reports against Bangabandhu since 1948.

Spelling out various measures taken by her government for ensuring the country’s overall development, the prime minister said their (government) main goal is to change the fate of the people by upgrading their lives and livelihood. As part of the initiative to give people a better life, she said her government has taken Ashrayan project to provide houses to every landless and homeless people marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The prime minister thanked the government officers for working sincerely in implementing the housing project and vaccination programme across the country and extending all-out support to the distressed people during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. She reiterated her call to the countrymen to bring every inch of fellow and arable land under cultivation as no food crisis can hit Bangladesh.