The government Tuesday assured the deputy commissioners (DC) that they would be empowered to rein in the activities of non-government organisations (NGO) involved in militant financing and hold summary trials to assist the judiciary.
The assurances came after a discussion session with the prime minister, ministers and advisors to the prime minister during the first day of the three-day DC conference.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the three day conference at her office Tuesday.
The prime minister asked them to take legal steps against the NGO’s involved in militant financing and organisations.
After the inaugural session of the three-day conference the prime minister talked to the DCs with an open mind to suggestions in her office. All the DCs and divisional commissioners of the country joined the conference.
Sheikh Yusuf Harun, deputy commissioner of Dhaka, proposed to increase prices of acquired land by the government by three folds. He argued that the present rate of land acquisition was depriving the land owners of their due prices.
One of the DCs who was promoted to joint secretary recently said 21 deputy commissioners took part in the open discussion with the prime minister. Hasina, after giving them a patient hearing, gave them some instructions.
The premier asked them to regulate the activities of the NGOs mainly in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Cox’s Bazar areas where the indigenous people and Rohingyas live.
He also said the prime minister ordered the DCs to keep the Hefazat-e-Islam under watch linking it to the international militant group Al-Qaeda.
In her inaugural speech, Sheikh Hasina asked the DCs to work closely with the public representatives for establishing good governance at the grassroots level to ensure public welfare.
She also gave them a 17-point directive for implementing various government programmes.
Terming the DC office as a centre of development management in the field level, she asked the DCs to fully utilise the ICT services and keep close watch so that the ordinary people are not harassed while seeking public services.
The district administration across the country has been brought under video conferencing system to play a supportive role, she added.
She mentioned the opening of a front desk as one stop service, introduction of public hearing day and district web portal in the DC office.
As they were given the floor, some of the DCs placed the issue of enacting the Public Service Act immediately to establish and protect their rights, which they had been demanding for a long time.
In addition, they urged the premier to amend the code of criminal procedure (CrPC) to give them back the authority they lost during the separation of judiciary from the executive.
The DC of Nilphamari placed a proposal for linking the Uttara EPZ with Syedpur Railway Station to ensure adequate supply of power and gas for the EPZ to make it effective.
The prime minister responded to their proposals and gave her opinion. An official handout said the prime minister discussed about building high-rises to rehabilitate landless people under the Ashrayan Projects considering the shortage of appropriate land.
Education
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Primary and Mass-Education Minister Afsarul Amin and State Minister for Primary Education Motahar Hossain were present at the conference in the first working session.
After the first session Nahid told reporters that the DCs requested the government to stop political interference in constituting managing committees or recruiting teachers at different school or academic institutes.
The minister in reply assured them of stopping political interference to ensure fair recruitment.
The minister told them that the government would take steps to fill up the vacancies of headmasters very soon.
The DCs also suggested the government to modify the examination procedure and arrange additional training for teachers.
Public Administration
HT Imam, advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on public administration ministry, on Tuesday met the DCs during the second working session of the DC conference.
After the meeting, the advisor told reporters that the DCs urged the government to empower them with holding summary trials to assist the judiciary as the judiciary does not have sufficient judicial magistrates.
Besides, the DCs suggested that the government should strengthen the mobile court law by amending the existing one, which is inadequate to run mobile courts for the executive magistrates.
HT Imam said the cabinet division and public administration ministry would take necessary steps on the basis of their suggestions.
Admitting the discrimination against third and fourth-class employees the advisor said: “There is some dissatisfaction among the field-level employees centering the changes of status. The government has taken the issue positively and is trying to solve it as soon as possible.”