The government plans to hold elections for all tiers of local government bodies within a year, including city corporations, district councils, upazila parishads, municipalities, and union parishads.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, minister of local government, rural development, and cooperatives, told reporters after attending the third day of the DC conference at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka yesterday.
He emphasised that local government is the strongest foundation of democracy and a vital grassroots institution. He said that strengthening these institutions bolsters both democracy and the state.
The minister also asked deputy commissioners to work alongside the people, asserting that the citizens are the true owners of the country and that people at the grassroots determine the nation’s direction.
After discussions on power and energy at the conference, Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku told journalists that the government’s goal is to generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity from solar energy over the next five years.
Regarding power outages, he said there is currently no load-shedding in the country and suggested that any electricity shortages are likely due to transmission line faults rather than load-shedding.
Brig Gen (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam, PM’s defence adviser, said certain groups were trying to undermine the military by deflecting attention from their own failures and shifting blame in an attempt to create discord in civil-military relations.
The defence adviser further emphasised that a strong civil-military relationship built on mutual respect and trust is essential for the country, noting that the roots of this bond lie deep in the history of Bangladesh’s independence.
He made the remarks while addressing a session on the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Division at the DC conference, said an ISPR press release.
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, in his speech, congratulated all concerned on holding a successful and impartial election. He noted that discharging duties in coordination with the civil administration has further strengthened public trust in the army.
Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan highlighted the navy’s activities in protecting maritime boundaries, while Chief of Air Force Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan presented future development plans, including the necessity of adding new aircraft for the air force’s modernisation.
Talking to reporters after the discussion, defence adviser Shamsul said DCs have been instructed to make the armed forces more people-oriented. He mentioned that the requirements, work procedures, and plans of the forces were shared with the DCs by the respective chiefs.
On foreign affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, state minister for the foreign ministry, stated that Bangladesh’s foreign policy will remain unchanged regardless of which government comes to power in West Bengal, India.
She emphasised that Indian polls are its internal matter.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury urged the DCs to discharge their duties with honesty, integrity, and dedication in all spheres, keeping in mind their responsibilities towards the people, society, and state.
The DCs work as an effective bridge between the executive branch of the state and the common people, he said.
The chief justice made the remark while presiding over a “Courtesy Meeting and Special Direction-Giving Session with all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners of the country” at the Supreme Court auditorium on the occasion of the DC conference yesterday afternoon, according to an SC press release.
The four-day DC conference, which began on Sunday, held eight sessions covering 14 ministries and divisions on its third day, yesterday. On the final day, today, nine sessions involving 10 ministries and divisions will take place. The conference will conclude with a dinner hosted by the prime minister.
