36,746 vacant posts in ministries

The government is filling over 36,000 vacant posts at various ministries to make public services dynamic, says State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain.

“We've taken an initiative in this regard following the prime minister's directive,” he told the agency.

Farhad said they will approve the ministries' applications for filling vacant posts instantly.

He also promised to do everything to bring back dynamism in public administration, saying, “We've taken steps to make the administration dynamic to take the country to a middle-income status from a lower-income one.”

Asked about the allegation that people are often harassed by district and upazila-level administrations, the state minister said they are taking steps to develop a pro-people administration. “We're trying to fulfil our goal of delivering quick services to people.”

“I myself saw that the general people can't go to government offices and even if they do, they don't get proper respect. There are quite a few errors in this system. We want to develop the administration as a pro-people and welfare-oriented one,” he said.

Farhad said the government has undertaken various programmes in this regard and his ministry has sent messages to grassroots officials.

“We're trying to remind them that people are the source of all power and the administration has to work as service providers,” he said.

PEOPLE-FIRST POLICY

Asked about steps taken to make the administration corruption-free, he pointed out that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been leading the ministry for 10 years.

“She has ordered zero tolerance against corruption. I'm following that policy,” he said.

He recalled Bangabandhu's statement that service seekers are “our siblings, our relatives” and that they have to be given the respect they deserve.

Farhad said the government is working to realise these goals and hoped that the standard of public service will improve.

“We want to be prosperous, not individually but collectively,” he said. “We want to make public administration people-friendly. In the future, it'll be of international standard. People won't be deprived of their desired services if we can groom our officials efficiently. We'll be able to reach our goal within five years.”

The state minister said the district and upazila administrations have been ordered to hold weekly hearings to learn about people's sufferings.