Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday advised the deputy commissioners (DCs), the key to field administration in the country, to see to it that no one comes to power unconstitutionally in future. “The country’s people were subjected to repression under the army-backed caretaker government in the past. So you should remain alert that it does not happen again,” she told DCs in her inaugural speech at the conference of DCs, held at the Prime Minister’s Office.Referring to the next general elections, the Prime Minister said the parliamentary elections of the country will take place like it is held in other democratic countries.
“We’ll have to ensure the democratic process by holding the next general polls under the government,” she said, adding, “Our government has paved the path for flourishing democracy in the country through the 15th amendment to the Constitution.”
Sheikh Hasina said she believes that the healthy trend of democracy in the country will continue as a result of the DCs’ active role and efficiency.
“We have formed a strong Election Commission in consultation with all political parties. Over 6,000 elections have been held in a free, fair and neutral manner during the last four-and-a-half years. Nobody can say that the government has interfered in any election,” she said.
The Prime Minister also said people could make mistakes when they cast votes by picking the wrong candidates. The country’s people can be confused about choosing the right candidates. However, they will gradually learn to choose the right candidates by making such mistakes.
Sheikh Hasina also directed the DCs to stay alert so that nobody could use children to whip up religious fanaticism in the name of Islam. “You have to build up mass awareness so that no one can use the madrasha children for evil purposes,” she added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued a 17-point directive to the DCs to ensure the people’s welfare and implement the government programmes.
For containing the price hike of essentials, Sheikh Hasina directed the DCs to monitor the markets during Ramzan for ensuring the supply of essential commodities so that nobody could hoard them or create an artificial crisis.
She also urged the district administrators to pay attention to ensure that the people do not become victims of harassment and deprivation when they seek government services.
The Prime Minister asked the DCs to take measures for increasing the rate of female education at all levels, checking the dropouts of students and bringing back dropout students to the mainstream and playing a pioneering role in spreading and developing quality education in remote areas.
She also urged the deputy commissioners to keep a sharp eye on enhancing efficiency and transparency of land administration and management, and on protecting government lands.
“You will have to take all kinds of necessary measures for ensuring smooth supply of fertilizers, seeds, electricity and fuel for boosting agricultural production,” she added.
The Prime Minister advised the DCs to encourage the producers to keep food-grains free of pollutants and create mass awakening in checking marketing of adulterated food items.
“You will have to raise mass awareness about protecting the environment and ensure proper application of the laws and rules to this end,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina suggested to the DCs to take initiatives to generate employment in the light of local resources and potentialities. She urged them to inspire and organize the marginal communities in cooperative activities.
She asked the deputy commissioners to take the right decisions at the right time in accordance with the Standing Orders on Disasters, 2010, to mitigate calamities and disasters. She urged them to make the village courts effective in order to provide hassle-free justice and reduce the backlog of cases.
Emphasising the need for decentralization of power, the Prime Minister said her government wants to spread development across the country. She asked the DCs to work sincerely towards this end.
“Our aim is to develop the living standards of poor people. We are in politics for them,” she pointed out.
The Prime Minister’s adviser on public administration HT Imam and cabinet secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan also addressed the inaugural function.
Dhaka divisional commissioner AM Shamsuddin Azad Chowdhury, Comilla deputy commissioner Md Tofazzal Hossain, Jessore deputy commissioner Md Mostafizur Rahman and Bhola deputy commissioner Khandakar Mostafizur Rahman also spoke on behalf of the DCs and divisional commissioners.
Ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister, secretaries, divisional commissioners and senior officials of the government were also present on the occasion.
Talking to this correspondent, some DCs said that they have urged the Prime Minister to amend certain sections of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), such as Sections 260 and 265, to allow them to conduct summary trial for petty offences such as food adulteration, which in turn would help them contain rise in prices of essential commodities.
The DCs demanded enforcement of certain Sections, such as Sections 156 (investigation into cognisable offences), 159 (authority for preliminary investigation), 190 and 192 (cognisance of offences by the magistrates and power thereof), 191 (transfer of cases on petition by the accused) and 202 (suspension of issue of warrant) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
People’s perceptions of mobile courts have changed, the DCs pointed out. The courts are not functioning well, the DCs said, adding that unless the CrPC is amended, petty crimes could not be curbed.
They said the field officials have been working to maintain law and order, conduct relief operations and tackle emergency situations in conjunction with different law-enforcement agencies. For this, they should get “risk allowances” and “rations”. The DCs also sought authority to take steps against some non-governmental organisations (NGOs). They sought to monitor them and take steps against the organisations for their illegal activities.
State minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku ordered the deputy commissioners (DC) to be careful about possible vandalism and subversive activities by Jamaat-e-Islami and its students’ wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, centred on the execution of the verdicts against war criminals related to crimes against humanity. He said preparations for executing the verdicts have already begun. The government is ready to execute the verdicts after those cases are disposed of in the tribunals.
“The people of the country have seen aggression, including vandalism and subversive activities of Jamaat and Shibir, after the verdicts against the war criminals were announced. Now the government is planning to execute the verdicts. The activists of Jamaat-Shibir may carry out destructive activities again, which may cause harm to lives and damage to public assets,” said the state minister, adding, “The DCs will have to be alert over the issue. They can prevent any destructive activities along with the public representatives, public servants and local people.”
The state minister wanted to know about the steps taken against those Jamaat-Shibir activists who had earlier carried out subversive activities from those DCs under whose jurisdiction the destructive activities had occurred. He directed them to follow up on the steps that have been taken, if any. If any steps were not taken, then they will have to take action after holding discussions with the police administration.
He also ordered them to ensure that propaganda and rumours over those issues and negative campaign against the government, using the Islamic sentiment, come to a halt.
When asked whether there was any trouble over coordination between civil and police administrations, Tuku said the issue of miscommunication was not raised at the discussions. “I think there was no problem over the issue.”
Rejecting allegations by the mobile courts that they are facing difficulties in running the mobile courts because of shortage of police personnel, the state minister said there was no shortage of police forces. The police administration was providing enough forces to the mobile courts in accordance with their demands. Mir Mosharraf Hossain, joint secretary of the Cabinet Division, told reporters that the DCs of ‘A’ category districts suggested to the government to increase the number of forces in these districts. The state minister and other high officials agreed with their proposal and assured them that it would be arranged.
Inspector general of police (IGP) Hasan Mahmud Khandokar urged the DCs to communicate with him directly, if necessary.
Later, planning minister AK Khandokar, state minister for housing and public works Abdul Mannan and state minister for Liberation War affairs AB Tazul Islam also met the DCs.
Regarding the sessions, Mir Mosharraf Hossain said the ministry of Liberation War affairs has given its consent to provide matching amounts for those funds for freedom fighters which the DCs will constitute to help them. The ministry ordered the DCs to allocate the amounts of money that the families of freedom fighters need for their funerals. The ministry will also provide assistance to set up graveyards for the gallant freedom fighters.
Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid, primary and mass education minister Afsarul Amin and state minister for primary education Motahar Hossain met in the first working session with the DCs.
After the first session, Nahid told reporters that the DCs urged the government to stop political interference in the constitution of managing committees for recruitment of teachers for different schools or academic institutes. Steps will be taken to stop this and ensure fair recruitment, the minister promised.
The minister told them that the government will take steps to fill up the vacancies of posts of headmasters. The steps will be taken as soon as possible, he added.
The DCs suggested the government should modify the system of examinations, arrange additional training for teachers and modify the system of meritorious search programmes of the education ministry.
HT Imam, adviser to the Prime Minister in the public administration ministry, met DCs on Tuesday during the second working session of the DCs’ conference.
After the meeting with the DCs, the adviser told reporters that the DCs urged the government to give them power of summary trial to assist the judiciary, since the judiciary lacks sufficient number of judicial magistrates. This will help the government reduce the number of pending cases at different courts of the country.
Besides, the DCs suggested to the government to strengthen the mobile courts by amending the existing law, which is inadequate for the executive magistrates for running mobile courts.
HT Imam said the government heard their proposals. “We will take steps on their suggestions. The Cabinet division and public administration ministry will take necessary action on it after discussing it with the law ministry.”
-With The Independent input
