Public welfare-oriented administrative activities reflected on Eid: Mahdi Amin

The Prime Minister's public-oriented initiatives around Eid have ensured accountability and have clearly reflected the aspirations of the people, said Mahdi Amin, Advisor and Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office.

He said this at a press conference organized at the Karbi Hall of the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon in the capital on Monday afternoon (June 1).

Mahdi Amin said that under the direct and clear instructions of the Prime Minister, accountability, administrative coordination and policy changes have been seen in the governance of the state this Eid. He asked ministers and state ministers, all members of parliament and important public representatives to celebrate Eid in their respective areas, and inspired them to share the joy of Eid by standing by the people.

The Prime Minister's Advisor said that by reflecting the aspirations of the people, the government has proven that it is possible to restore peace, order and trust even in times of crisis with political commitment and effective management. It is impossible for any magic spell to instantly change the deadlock that has been created by 16 years of fascist misrule and lack of accountability. However, the people of the country have clearly witnessed at least one thing during this Eid-ul-Azha, which is the sincere goodwill of the state and administrative activities aimed at public welfare.

At the press conference, Mahdi Amin said that special importance has been given to 10 public-oriented issues in the government's activities ahead of this Eid-ul-Azha. These included ensuring a smooth Eid pilgrimage, payment of salaries and allowances to workers, protection of domestic livestock markets, prompt waste removal, discipline in public transport, suppression of extortion and syndicates, uninterrupted power supply, ensuring public safety, proper management of the leather sector, and maintaining stability in the market for essential goods. The coordinated implementation of these initiatives has brought about visible positive changes in various aspects of Eid management and reflected the efforts to make state services more public-oriented.

He further said that the government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, elected by the people's vote, has completed only three months. This may not be very long in terms of time, but for a democratic government, every day is a day of keeping the promise to the people, every moment is a test of duty, and every step is a reflection of accountability and service.

Mahdi Amin said that within this short period of time, we have been working relentlessly towards transparency, good governance, public welfare and fulfilling people's expectations in state administration. Because we believe that the trust and confidence of the people is the greatest strength of a government. Therefore, it is our moral responsibility to inform the people about every initiative, achievement and challenge of the government. We want the people to be the judge of our work, and their trust and support to be the motivation for the path ahead.

Among the steps taken in Eid management, he first highlighted the long holidays and traffic management. He said that government holidays are extended by one week in coordination with regular weekly holidays. The continuous monitoring and special management to ensure the smooth travel of people heading home reduced the pressure on the highway and traffic congestion was under control during this Eid journey compared to the past. Even so, the government will continue to strive to resolve the issues in the future.

As a second initiative, Mahdi Amin highlighted the government's steps to ensure the payment of salaries and bonuses to workers in various industries, including the garment sector. He said that the Eid joy of the workers has been ensured by involving banks, owners and various associations. As a result, there was no blockade of the highway or major chaos in the industrial areas and it has been possible to pay salaries and allowances on time in most factories.

As a third step, he highlighted the issue of domestic livestock markets and border control. Mahdi Amin said that strict instructions were given to prevent illegal cattle from entering through the border to protect the interests of local farmers and round-the-clock monitoring was carried out at livestock markets. He claimed that the country has ensured self-sufficiency in sacrificial animals as there are 12.3 million sacrificial animals against the demand of about 11 million animals.

However, he admitted that some marginal farmers did not get the expected price in the end due to the high supply in the market. The government is looking into the matter seriously and promised to take steps to protect the economic security of small and marginal farmers in the future.

Highlighting the issue of quick removal of sacrificial waste as the fourth initiative, Mahdi Amin said that work has started with additional manpower and work plans in various urban areas including the two city corporations of Dhaka from the day of Eid. As a result, waste removal has been possible in most areas within 8 to 12 hours, which used to take several days in the past.

In this context, he said that the day after Eid, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited different areas of the capital and observed the sacrificial animal waste removal activities on the spot. He personally drove a car and inspected the conditions of various roads, that is, the field-level work, which is a rare and unprecedented event in the history of observing domestic administrative activities. During the inspection, several regional executive officers of Dhaka North and South City Corporations were immediately suspended on the Prime Minister's orders for negligence in removing waste from Eid-ul-Azha sacrifice.

Highlighting the issue of discipline and special facilities in public transport as the fifth initiative, he said that strict surveillance was in place to prevent excessive fare collection. In addition, reserved coaches for women were introduced in railways and metrorails and arrangements were made for concessional fares for the elderly and disabled.