Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday expressed her dismay over frequent absence of top bureaucrats in crucial parliamentary sittings and asked them to undergo a training course to learn about the constitution and parliamentary rules of procedure and practices. 
“I have noticed that secretaries of department concerned remain absent from the parliament at the time of question-answer sessions,” she said in a meeting with secretaries of different ministries and divisions.
The premier said the secretaries concerned with the presence in parliament could help ministers with necessary information to reply the questions by lawmakers.
She said only three or four secretaries were present in the parliament when this year’s budget was passed and many of the top bureaucrats did not witness the days of discussions on budget. 
Presence of secretaries is also important at the time of passage of a bill as they prepare the document, the prime minister said. 
“Every country follows the practice,” the prime minister said sharing her experience from question-answer session in the House of Commons. 
So, secretaries have to learn about the constitution, parliament practice, rules of procedure, the prime minister said asking the cabinet secretary to arrange a basic training course for them so that such situation doesn’t arise in future. 
Hasina also warned the government officials against corruption saying that there should be no dishonesty in any form.
“I want work, I want work with honesty; corruption should be stopped, corruption shouldn’t take place in any way,” she said.
Hasina also instructed the secretaries to formulate strategies for implementing annual development programmes (ADP) from the very beginning of the fiscal year by completing necessary paper works of the projects during monsoon and immediately hold inter-ministerial co-ordination meetings, if necessary.
She said the government would not compromise when it came to quality of work in implementing development programmes.
The prime minister directed the Secretaries to undertake area-wise annual development programmes considering local needs and implement the projects faster so that the highest number of people could be benefited.
She underscored the need for taking necessary steps for rural development, creating jobs, reducing the gap between the rich and the poor and ensuring equal distribution of resources from the very beginning of the fiscal year.
The Prime Minister asked the Secretaries to be more sincere in accomplishing the development works under Fast Track Projects within the stipulated time.
She laid emphasis on ensuring good governance through making effective ‘reward for good works and punishment for bed performance’ system.
Hasina directed the senior officials to take effective measures at the field level to contain terrorism and drug, and take awareness programmes in this regard alongside applying laws. 
The prime minister also highlighted massive developments in road transport and railways, education, power and energy, health, ICT and other 
infrastructure sectors.
The ultimate goal of her government is to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041 through establishing a poverty- and hunger-free country, she said. 
For the purpose, she mentioned that her government’s development goals as well as strategies have been fixed in line with the SDG strategic papers and the seven fifth year plan.




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