DHAKA : Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today urged Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) to treat people as their own and discharge their duties with the highest sense of responsibility and humanity, saying public service is a great opportunity to stand beside the distressed and build a safe and liveable Bangladesh.

"For everyone entrusted with state responsibilities, the opportunity to serve the people is a sacred responsibility and a blessing from Allah. We must use this opportunity to stand beside the helpless and distressed and leave a safe and liveable Bangladesh for the next generation," he said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while addressing a meeting with UNOs from different upazilas at his office in Tejgaon here this afternoon, said Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Suzauddhowla Sujon Mahmud.
 
Referring to field-level administration officials as a bridge between the government and the people, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of treating the people of their respective upazilas as their own.

The Prime Minister said, "You may be serving in an upazila that is not your own, but it is a part of your country. The people living there may not be from your locality, but they are your own people," he said.

"We are here today, but we will not be here tomorrow. Let us all work together to leave a safe Bangladesh for the next generation, where everyone can live a little better," he added.

The Prime Minister said not all social problems could be addressed through laws alone, noting that many of them could be resolved by educating people and raising public awareness.

He urged the UNOs to take a more proactive role in building public awareness in their respective areas.

Highlighting the role of field administration in protecting the environment, the Prime Minister said although Dhaka had long remained among the world's top cities in terms of pollution, the situation had improved somewhat recently.

He termed the improvement a positive sign and called for further efforts to build on the progress.

"Many people in upazilas and municipalities want to plant trees on their own initiative. If government officials like you encourage them, someone who would plant 10 trees may plant 50. In this way, you can make a major contribution to protecting the environment," he said.

The Prime Minister also urged the UNOs to take initiatives to promote sports at the local level, saying encouragement to different sports organisations could bring positive changes to society.

"Young people involved in sports develop discipline and a sense of order," he said.

The premier said there was no need to wait for national days such as Victory Day or Independence Day to organise sporting events.

"Sports can be organised around any good local occasion, even on the birthday of a local person," he said.

Expressing concern over the decline of human values in society, the Prime Minister said people were gradually losing compassion and becoming increasingly insensitive to others, with various forms of mental and social pressure possibly contributing to the trend. 

"If this tendency continues to grow, social harmony will be undermined and society will suffer. So, you have to take initiatives in your respective areas to foster compassion and empathy among people," he said.

Stressing that human beings, as the best of creation, should think beyond themselves, Tarique Rahman said people should care not only for others but also for animals, birds and the natural world. 

"You should take initiatives to make children aware of these values by visiting schools," he said.

The Prime Minister said lessons on humanity and compassion for animals and birds are being incorporated into the curriculum from the primary level.

He said family, social and religious values once played an important role in teaching people compassion for others, responsibility towards the environment and nature, and affection for animals and birds.

"Today, many of these values are largely absent. We must all work together to restore them," he said.

The Prime Minister also praised and thanked the UNOs for completing canal excavation projects in their respective upazilas with integrity and returning the surplus funds to the national exchequer.

"You have set a positive example for the government and the people. This gives me confidence that you can do many good things for the people," he said.

According to the Deputy Press Secretary, the UNOs briefed the Prime Minister on the changes in local agriculture, water management and public life following the successful completion of canal excavation projects in their respective upazilas.

They said areas that previously produced two crops a year were now producing three, while canal re-excavation had brought positive changes in water drainage, irrigation and agricultural activities.

They also conveyed messages of thanks and gratitude from the beneficiaries to the Prime Minister.

Receiving the messages, Tarique Rahman said the main objective of canal excavation is to restore the traditional character of riverine Bangladesh, warning that the country's groundwater level was declining steadily. 

"Our water table is falling day by day, which could put us in a grave situation in the future. We have to prepare from now to face that situation," he said.

The Prime Minister said 20,000 kilometres of canals would be excavated across the country in phases. 

He said the initiative would bring long-term benefits in water conservation, increasing agricultural production, reducing waterlogging and maintaining environmental balance.

The Prime Minister also said development was not limited to infrastructure development or economic progress; fostering humanity, empathy and a sense of responsibility among people is also an important part of development. 

The meeting was attended by 83 UNOs who had returned surplus funds from canal excavation projects to the national exchequer.

Prime Minister's Adviser on Public Administration Ismail Zabihullah, State Minister for Public Administration Md. Abdul Bari, Cabinet Secretary Dr Nasimul Gani, PM's Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, Press Secretary AAM Saleh Shibly, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman and senior officials of the Prime Minister's Office, among others, were also present.