Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today urged Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) to treat people as their own and discharge their duties with the highest sense of responsibility and humanity, saying public service is a great opportunity to stand beside the distressed and build a safe and liveable Bangladesh.
"For everyone entrusted with state responsibilities, the opportunity to serve the people is a sacred responsibility and a blessing from Allah. We must use this opportunity to stand beside the helpless and distressed and leave a safe and liveable Bangladesh for the next generation," he said.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while addressing a meeting with UNOs from different upazilas at his office in Tejgaon here this afternoon, said Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Suzauddhowla Sujon Mahmud.
Referring to field-level administration officials as a bridge between the government and the people, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of treating the people of their respective upazilas as their own.
The Prime Minister said, "You may be serving in an upazila that is not your own, but it is a part of your country. The people living there may not be from your locality, but they are your own people," he said.
"We are here today, but we will not be here tomorrow. Let us all work together to leave a safe Bangladesh for the next generation, where everyone can live a little better," he added.
The Prime Minister said not all social problems could be addressed through laws alone, noting that many of them could be resolved by educating people and raising public awareness.
He urged the UNOs to take a more proactive role in building public awareness in their respective areas.
Highlighting the role of field administration in protecting the environment, the Prime Minister said although Dhaka had long remained among the world's top cities in terms of pollution, the situation had improved somewhat recently.
He termed the improvement a positive sign and called for further efforts to build on the progress.
"Many people in upazilas and municipalities want to plant trees on their own initiative. If government officials like you encourage them, someone who would plant 10 trees may plant 50. In this way, you can make a major contribution to protecting the environment," he said.
The Prime Minister also urged the UNOs to take initiatives to promote sports at the local level, saying encouragement to different sports organisations could bring positive changes to society.
"Young people involved in sports develop discipline and a sense of order," he said.
The premier said there was no need to wait for national days such as Victory Day or Independence Day to organise sporting events.
"Sports can be organised around any good local occasion, even on the birthday of a local person," he said.