Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has urged Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) to work with the utmost responsibility and humanity from their respective positions for the country’s development and the welfare of its people.

He said the opportunity to serve people while holding state responsibilities is a great trust and blessing from Allah. Officials should use this opportunity to stand by the helpless and underprivileged and leave behind a safe and livable Bangladesh for future generations.

The prime minister made the remarks at a meeting with UNOs from different upazilas at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Saturday (August 8) afternoon.

The meeting was organised mainly to commend and thank the UNOs of 83 upazilas for completing canal excavation projects with integrity and returning the unspent funds to the state treasury.

Referring to field-level administration officials as a bridge between the people and the government, the prime minister 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.”

Addressing the officials, he said, “The upazila where you are serving may not be your own upazila. But that upazila is a part of your country. The people you see there may not be from your own area, but they are people just like your own loved ones. If we want to put this country in order, we all have to make the effort together.”

Stating that it is not possible to solve all social problems through laws alone, the prime minister said many problems can be addressed by educating and raising awareness among people. He urged the UNOs to take a more active role in creating public awareness in their respective areas.

Emphasising the role of field administration in protecting the environment, the prime minister said many people in upazilas and municipalities want to plant trees on their own initiative. If government officials encourage them, a person who might otherwise plant 10 trees could plant 50.

He also instructed the UNOs to take initiatives to promote sports. He said there is no need to wait for national days such as Victory Day or Independence Day to organise sporting events. Sports activities can be arranged around any positive local occasion, even to mark the birthday of a local person. Such initiatives help develop discipline among young people.

Expressing concern over the decline of humanitarian values in society, the prime minister said people are gradually becoming less compassionate and increasingly becoming cruel. If this trend continues, social peace will be disrupted. Therefore, initiatives should be taken in every locality to promote empathy and compassion among people.

Urging people to care for animals and nature, he said lessons on humanity and compassion toward animals and birds are being incorporated into the curriculum from the primary level. “Let Bangladesh become a safe place for all living beings and life,” he added.

At the meeting, UNOs presented the prime minister with examples of positive changes in agriculture, water management and public life in their respective upazilas following the successful completion of canal excavation projects.

They said areas that previously produced two crops a year are now producing three crops after the canals were excavated.

The prime minister said the main objective of canal excavation is to restore the traditional character of riverine Bangladesh. He warned that groundwater levels are declining day by day, which could create a severe situation in the future. Preparations must begin now to address that challenge, he said.

He also announced that 20,000 kilometres of canals would be excavated across the country in phases.

The meeting was attended by the 83 UNOs who returned surplus funds, along with the prime minister’s adviser on public administration Ismail Jabiullah, State Minister for Public Administration Abdul Bari, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office ABM Abdus Sattar, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Saleh Shibli, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon and other senior officials.