Staff Correspondent

The district administration is working to establish a new culture of service-oriented, coordinated and humane administration by moving away from the traditional practice of imposing decisions on people, said Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan.

In an exclusive interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the DC spoke in detail about the administration's changing approach, its “zero tolerance” policy against corruption in land services, promotion of good citizens through the “Good Work, Good People” initiative, and efforts to make Gazipur a horn-free district.

A new approach to administration

Talking about his responsibilities in the changed circumstances, the DC said taking charge in a post-revolution Bangladesh under a new government was challenging.

“When we started working, there was a kind of disorder in the administration, education, health, infrastructure and even in people's minds,” he said.

Referring to the negative perception about public administration that had developed among people over the past 16-17 years, he said many people had possessed the believe that state institutions were not functioning according to laws and regulations.

“This created a tendency among ordinary people to violate laws or form mobs to get their demands met,” he said.

He said the district administration initially focused on bringing positive changes in people's mindset.

“We are making decisions by understanding people's needs and coordinating with them. People from all walks of life in Gazipur have given us tremendous response and cooperation,” he added.

Zero tolerance in land services

Regarding long-standing allegations of harassment and corruption at land offices, the DC acknowledged that people had suffered in this sector for years.

“Land services are connected to people's emotions, property and livelihoods. So, immediately after taking charge, we adopted a zero-tolerance policy against corruption,” he said.

He said strict disciplinary measures were being taken whenever allegations of negligence or corruption were received. 

“We are not focusing only on punishment. We have also arranged necessary training and incentives to encourage employees to improve service delivery,” he said.

He said efforts were also underway to enable people to receive services without physically visiting land offices, including online access to land records and payment of land development tax through apps from anywhere in the world.

“We cannot say that we have achieved 100 percent success, but our efforts are cent percent. Many people are now calling us with positive feedback, saying that work which had remained pending for years was completed within a few days due to the district administration's initiatives,” he said.

Faster administration and humane workplace

The DC said the district administration was working hard to bring greater dynamism to its activities.

He said government officials and employees were capable and efficient and could deliver their best through proper direction.

He also said officials and employees had been working in the field on Fridays and Saturdays for the past two months as part of efforts to build a clean Bangladesh and prevent dengue.

Recently, cleanliness drives were conducted in around 1,300 educational institutions and 600 local government and other institutions across the district in a single day, he said.

‘Good Work, Good People’ initiative

The DC has also launched an initiative titled “Good Work, Good People” to recognise people who contribute positively to society.

Explaining the initiative, he said society often focuses on identifying thieves, robbers and other offenders, while many good people quietly contribute to social development.

“If we bring these good people to the forefront, crime will decrease and others will be encouraged to engage in good work,” he said.

“Our goal is to suppress the wicked and nurture the good. It is part of the vision of building a ‘humane Bangladesh’ mentioned in the election manifesto,” he said.

According to the DC, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has shown particular interest in the initiative and instructed that a comprehensive guideline be prepared so that the “Gazipur Model” could be replicated across the country.

12-week plan for a horn-free Gazipur

The district administration has also taken an initiative to make industrial Gazipur a horn-free district as part of its efforts to control pollution.

“Gazipur is a wonderful combination of industry and greenery, but noise pollution is an invisible silent killer. Following the Prime Minister's special directive, we have taken steps to build a horn-free Gazipur to control noise pollution,” the DC said.

He said the initiative began by making his own vehicle horn-free, followed by vehicles of other government officials.

Bikers, universities and other institutions have also been brought under the initiative, while meetings are being held with industrial owners under a 12-week special action plan to discourage unnecessary horn use in private and goods-carrying vehicles.

“Changing people's long-standing habits in a day is difficult, but we are receiving a positive response. At least, drivers have developed an awareness that unnecessary honking is an offence,” he said.

Long-term waste management and civic services

DC Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan said long-term plans were being implemented to address some of Gazipur's major civic problems, including waste management, traffic congestion and waterlogging.

He said work was underway to implement sewage treatment plants (STPs) to keep the city clean, while secondary transfer centres (STCs) had been constructed at different locations through the city corporation.

The district administration was also working in line with government directives to establish effluent treatment plants (ETPs) to control industrial pollution, he said.

At the end of the interview, the DC expressed hope that the positive practices introduced by the administration would continue even after officials are transferred.

“We are lighting a lamp of positive change in the administration. Even if officials are transferred, these good practices and the positive trend should continue. The people will preserve the benefits of this change, and a coordinated, beautiful and service-oriented Gazipur will emerge,” he said.