PM tells first cabinet meet of new govt
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday, warned of action against ministers if they are found guilty of corruption. “My self and even my family members are not involved in corruption. So, I will take stern action against those involved in the menace,” the PM told the first meeting of her new council of ministers. The secretaries of different ministries and divisions also attended the meeting at the secretariat.
Hasina advised her cabinet to fight corruption so as to fulfil the people’s expectations of clean governance, a minister present at the meeting told The Independent, on condition of anonymity.
“We have begun a new journey after struggling against many barriers. Now, we have to prove that the government is for the people. We have to ensure good governance and stop corruption, with a view to build a middle-income country by 2021,” the minister quoted the PM as saying.
The PM said the main challenge was to ensure law and order and accused “some political parties” of trying to destabilise the country by carrying out sabotage in the name of movement. “We will take stern action against criminals and people involved in sabotage. You (ministers) have to be alert against such elements and their evil designs,” she added.
Hasina said her ministers must work to enhance the government’s credibility among the people, by providing correct information from their respective ministries. “Otherwise, leaders of the opposition parties may misguide people by providing wrong information,” she added.
Later, cabinet secretary M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the media that the govt has approved a draft of the President’s speech for the inaugural session of the new parliament on January 29. The President’s speech would dwell on Vision-2021, Digital Bangladesh, social safety net programmes, employment, foreign relations, and future plans, he said.
Sheikh Hasina, who became the PM for the third time, had named her new council of ministers on January 12.
Courtesy of The Independent
