Prime Minister’s Adviser Ismail Zabihullah on Monday urged government officials to ensure the maximum use of every working hour and every taka of taxpayers’ money to improve the quality of public services.
Speaking at a workshop organised by the Ministry of Public Administration at the BCS Administration Academy to mark National Public Service Day 2026, he said the administration’s primary objective should be the efficient use of time, public funds and manpower.
The adviser said it was time to assess the return on investment (ROI) of every government meeting, training programme and workshop.
“We must account for how much money we spent, how many man-hours we invested and how much public service improved in return. This calculation must become an integral part of the administration,” he said.
Zabiullah said the civil service was operating in a rapidly changing global environment shaped by a multipolar world order, geopolitical competition, shifts in global supply chains, the climate crisis and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.
He said these challenges could be addressed through a skilled, patriotic and forward-looking administration and urged officials to remain vigilant and adaptable to global changes.
Describing the civil service as the driving force behind the government’s election manifesto, he proposed introducing implementation trackers to monitor progress.
Referring to the United Kingdom and Singapore, he said both countries had converted government commitments into measurable indicators to strengthen accountability.
He encouraged the use of information technology experts and data analytics firms to develop similar digital monitoring systems in Bangladesh.
The adviser also instructed officials to move away from what he described as a culture of avoiding responsibility and instead make decisions on files within their delegated financial authority.
He said public administration would become increasingly data-driven and technology-dependent, adding that closer integration between people and technology would make government services more effective.
Zabiullah also urged officials to maintain sincere relations with the public and take care of their physical and mental wellbeing, saying only healthy and balanced public servants could provide the best service to citizens.
The workshop was chaired by Mohammad Altaf-ul-Alam, rector of the BCS Administration Academy.
Textiles and Jute Secretary Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury attended as the special guest, while Additional Secretary (CPT) Mohammad Monirul Islam presented the keynote paper.
