Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday directed government officials to ensure that every penny allocated to development projects is spent properly in the national interest and for the welfare of the people.
He issued the directive while reviewing the activities of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and the progress of its development projects at the Secretariat.
“Many projects have been undertaken and many targets set. The government will allocate budgets to achieve those targets. But this is public money. I hope you will all pay attention to ensuring that every penny is spent properly in the national interest and for the welfare of people,” he said.
During the meeting, officials briefed the prime minister on the ministry’s ongoing activities, development projects, future plans and targets.
Tarique urged officials to regard public service as an opportunity to serve the people, saying those holding government positions were privileged compared with much of the country’s population.
“We are all privileged compared with the overall population of Bangladesh. Almighty Allah has given us an opportunity to work for our country and its people,” he said.
The prime minister called on officials to carry out their responsibilities sincerely and to the best of their abilities.
He reminded them that opportunities to serve in public office were not permanent and urged them to make the most of their time in office for the country’s development and people’s welfare.
“Let us all try to make proper use of the opportunity, for as long as we have it, to work for people and the country,” he said towards the end of the meeting.
Tarique also encouraged officials to share their views more actively, saying their field-level experience and observations could contribute significantly to government decision-making.
He said the ministry’s progress would be reviewed again at future meetings and expressed hope that officials would speak more openly about their experiences, observations and opinions.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid, State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Secretary Delwar Hossain and other senior ministry officials attended the meeting.
