PM tells new officers to stay politically neutral and serve citizens with humanity

Stressing political neutrality in the administration, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said it is not wrong for officials to personally support any political party, but that support must be expressed at the ballot box, not in a government office.

He said this while speaking as chief guest at the closing and certificate distribution ceremony of the 81st foundation training course at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) in Savar on Sunday evening.

Addressing the new BCS officers, the prime minister said political neutrality must be maintained in discharging duties as government officials. The manifesto the people voted for in the election is now the people's manifesto and the people's document, and administrative duties must be carried out sincerely to implement it.

The prime minister said people expect not only orders and instructions from a government official, but also humanity. Officials must ensure that no citizen faces harassment while seeking government services.

He said an administration with efficiency, honesty and human values is essential for the overall success of a government. Such qualities enrich not only an officer, but also the state and the government.

Congratulating the new officers, he said they have learnt through training how to apply in practical life the academic knowledge they have gained. Now they must reflect that knowledge by properly performing the duties assigned to them in government administration.

Tarique Rahman said the officers' workplaces and nature of work may differ across the various cadres of the Bangladesh Civil Service, but their first and foremost identity is that they are public administration officers, and their main duty is to serve the people.

The prime minister said officials themselves know well what should and should not be done as government officials, but the willingness to implement what they know in the workplace is the most important thing.

He said officers must devote themselves to serving citizens selflessly, noting that in life everyone needs someone else's help at some point. Citizens who come for services should be treated in the same way officers themselves would expect to be treated by others.

Giving an example, the prime minister said that if a citizen's application contains an error, instead of merely informing them of the error and sending them back, the exact error should be pointed out and advice given on where to go to correct it. That is an expression of humanity and sincerity.

The prime minister said administrative officers must perform their duties within statutory rules and the law, but whether citizens are treated humanely while duties are performed is also an extremely important matter for a modern state and administration.

Urging officers not to compromise professional skill and honesty for posting to a preferred position or for promotion, the prime minister said being mentally prepared to serve in any public administration post anywhere in the country is the mark of ultimate professionalism. Just as no government is permanent, no post in public administration is permanent for anyone.

Stressing political neutrality in the administration, he said it is not wrong for officials to personally support any political party, but that support must be reflected at the ballot box, not in a government office.

The prime minister said that alongside administrative initiatives, the positive mindset of officers and employees is extremely important in reducing delays in administration and making government services easy and citizen-friendly, and new officers must play an effective role in this.

Drawing the new officers' attention to the environment and cleanliness, he said everyone must become more aware of keeping homes, offices, courts and surroundings clean, through which a clean environment and country can be built for future generations.

At the ceremony, the prime minister handed certificates to the top 10 officers among those who took part in the four-month-long 81st foundation training course.

Present at the ceremony were Ismail Zabiullah, adviser to the prime minister on public administration affairs, Abdul Bari, state minister for public administration, and Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, among others.