Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the public servants to grow a mindset to serve the people, reaching the services to the doorsteps of the masses.

‘You’ll have to create a mentality to reach the services to the doorsteps of the people, engaging the people (in this process) for the people,’ she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing the certificate-awarding and concluding ceremony of the 75th foundation training course for BCS officers in the city’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

She distributed the certificates among the 30 best performers out of 602 participants in the foundation training course.

Besides, the PM inaugurated five newly implemented projects of the Public Administration Ministry and opened the Government Employee Management System Software at the event.

Sheikh Hasina asked the government staff to always work for the country, considering them as the servants of the people.

‘Don’t consider the service as a job merely, rather a scope to serve the country. You will have to keep this thing in mind always,’ she said.

The prime minister termed the 1975-1996 and 2001-2008 periods as two black chapters in the history of Bangladesh as the country couldn’t move forward in the 29 years.

The PM asked the government officers to work on raising food production in order to mitigate the current economic stress and global high inflation.

‘Today our economy is under pressure to some extent due to inflation. All will have to take measures so that all would increase production and no land remains uncultivated,’ she said.

She said if food security could be maintained by ensuring food for all, there would be no problem.

Noting that a huge number of uncultivated lands are still there in the country, she asked the officers to motivate the people to bring their all uncultivated lands under production.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh was in some problems due to the global economic recession and high inflation.

‘Today many say many things about the reserve. I said that there is nothing to worry about the reserve. We don’t think as long as food is in household storage. We’ll cultivate crops and produce our foods. If needed, we’ll spend and purchase less (reduce import) to some extent,’ she said.

The prime minister asked the government officials to implement development schemes, keeping balance with the environment by protecting canals, beels and other water bodies.

She asked them to work for reaching the fruits of different social safety schemes to the right beneficiaries properly, diversification of the export basket to reduce dependency on only single product- readymade garments, exploring new export markets and ensuring development works sustainable.

Noting that there is scarcity of lands in the country with a large population, she said it would have to use the large population as resources. ‘We’ll have to put the spirit among the people that the population is a great resource,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is now a role model for development. ‘We at least can claim that today’s Bangladesh is a changed Bangladesh. Bangladesh doesn’t remain behind anymore.’

She said her government had successfully implemented the Vision 2021 and now wants to build the country as Smart Bangladesh by 2041 by making the country’s economy, government and society smart.

The PM asked the newly recruited officers to build themselves as the main craftsmen and soldiers of the 2041 Smart Bangladesh.

Talking about ‘My Village My Town programme,’ she said her government’s target is to ensure civic amenities in every village so that the villagers don’t need to go to the town to avail the civic facilities.

The PM asked all to work so that the ongoing development trend would continue and Bangladesh won’t fall behind from the present position.

At the event, Tahseen Binte Anish received the rector’s medal and crest of honour from the prime minister as the best performer, while Sumaya Jahan Jhulka and Ankan Pal received the crests of honour as the 2nd and 3rd best performers respectively.

The six-month foundation training course was conducted with the ever largest beach with 602 participants — BCS officers from 19 BCS cadre services and two BPATC faculty members.

The five development projects are — upgrading 150-bed government employee hospital into a 500-bed one at a cost of Tk 428 crore, Government Employee Management System Programme, newly constructed 15-storey BPATC dormitory at a cost of Tk 206 crore and two newly constructed circuit houses in Cumilla and Tangail.

A video documentary was screened focusing on the last six-month activities of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre.

State minister for public administration Farhad Hossain spoke on the occasion and four participants of the training course shared their feelings.

Public administration senior secretary Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury delivered the welcome speech, while Rector of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre Md Ashraf Uddin presented the result of the 75th foundation training course.

Later, a cultural soiree was presented by the participants of the 75th foundation training course.