Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday urged newly recruited civil servants to serve people with honesty, efficiency and human values, stressing that no citizen should face harassment while seeking services from government offices.

“Regardless of a citizen's age, you must ensure that they do not face any kind of harassment when they come to your offices seeking assistance,” he said.

The Prime Minister was addressing the closing ceremony of the 81st Foundation Training Course for newly recruited BCS officers at the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) in Savar.

Addressing the officers, he said they were about to begin a new chapter in their professional lives after completing their academic studies and receiving practical training.

Tarique congratulated them on completing the four-month course and wished them success in their future careers.

He said an efficient, honest and humane administration was essential for the overall success of any government.

“An administration with efficiency, honesty and human values not only enriches an individual officer but also strengthens the state and the government,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the newly trained officers would join different cadres, including administration, foreign affairs, agriculture, taxation, education and information, and their duties might vary depending on their respective fields.

“But whatever your cadre or workplace, your first and foremost identity is that you are officers of the public administration, and you are there to serve the people,” Tarique said.

He said he did not want to give them a lengthy lecture on what they should or should not do, as they were already aware of their responsibilities. “What matters most is your willingness to put that knowledge into practice,” he added.

Referring to the principle of treating others as one would like to be treated, the Prime Minister urged the officers to show citizens the same consideration and cooperation they would expect when seeking assistance themselves.

He said government officials must perform their duties within the limits of the law, stressing that humane behaviour towards service seekers was also equally important in a modern state and administration.

Giving an example, Tarique said an officer should not simply tell a citizen to correct mistakes in an application; rather, the officer should clearly identify the errors and guide the person on where and how to get them corrected. “The country’s people expect not only instructions and orders from you but also humanity,” he said.

He also advised the officers not to compromise their professional integrity and efficiency in pursuit of preferred postings or promotions.

The Prime Minister said being mentally prepared to serve in any position and any part of the country was a sign of true professionalism. “Just as a government is not permanent, no position in the public administration is permanent for anyone,” he said.

He said he did not personally consider it wrong for government officials to support a particular political party, but such support should be reflected at the ballot box, not in government offices.

Tarique acknowledged that the government was implementing its political agenda through the administration, but said it was doing so based on the electoral mandate given by the people.

He said his party had placed an election manifesto before the people before the national election and that voters had endorsed it.

“The election manifesto has now become the people's manifesto and their document. So, implementing it is the responsibility of the present government,” the Prime Minister said, urging the officers to carry out the necessary administrative work sincerely.

He also stressed the need to reduce delays in public administration and make government services easier and more citizen-friendly.

Tarique said a positive attitude among government officials and employees was often more effective than administrative initiatives alone in improving public services.

At the end of his speech, he urged the officers to pay greater attention to environmental protection and cleanliness, saying keeping homes, offices and public spaces clean would help build a cleaner country for future generations.

The Prime Minister handed over certificates to 10 top-performing officers among the participants of the four-month training course.