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PM Gets Down to Task

Ouster for failure

Hasina warns ministers over poor job, graft allegations; tells top bureaucrats not to clutch at excuses

M Abul Kaiam Azad
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday categorically warned her cabinet colleagues that she will not hesitate to remove them from offices if they fail to fulfil her party's election pledges to the people, or if allegations of corruption are brought against them.
"Take full charge of your respective ministries within seven days, and work to overcome the challenges we face. I'll not accept any exception." Hasina told them in a cabinet meeting in Bangladesh Secretariat.
She said both the people and political opponents are keenly watching if Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance government can deliver, adding. "We can't fail."
In a separate meeting, Hasina, also the AL president, told top civil bureaucrats that no excuse will be tolerated for delaying implementation of development and welfare activities.
"Don't say no to any work with excuses of legal barriers. Instead try to find ways to overcome them." Hasina told her maiden meeting with secretaries to different
ministries and divisions.
She said, 'We’re the lawmakers. Tell us, if you face any legal barrier in executing plans. Laws can be amended and new laws can be enacted to pave the way for public development."
In a bid to make the civil bureaucracy work better. Hasina said she will spend most of her office hours in Bangladesh Secretariat, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Quader told The Daily Star after the meeting.
Usually prime ministers do their daily office work in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), but Hasina wants to break with the tradition in a bid to be a constant source of encouragement and deterrence for her cabinet colleagues, and to be a more efficient leader.
The decision was appreciated by many secretariat officials and employees, who said her presence will change the entire environment of the secretariat.
It was decided that weekly cabinet meetings will now be held in the secretariat on Mondays, while the prime minister will hold ministry wise meetings on specific issues o n Tuesdays.
"If anything urgent turns up, the prime minister will have meetings on Wednesdays too," State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj told The Daily Star.
Hasina went to her secretariat office around 10:00am yesterday for the first time since she had become the prime minister for the second time on January 6.
She had almost a two-hour long
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meeting there with ministers, state ministers and advisers in the Cabinet Division conferenceroom.
Reminding her administration colleagues of her party's election promises and the high expectations of the people to see those implemented, the prime minister warned them that she wall not accept any dashing of public expectations.
The members other cabinet briefed her on their ministries, the challenges they face, and the priorities to be set. Hasina warned them that she will not allow any irregularity, and will take immediate action if any complaint comes to her against any member other cabinet.
She emphasised on curbing prices of essentials, and discussed possible methods for that.
Hasina was unhappy to know that only 18 percent of the annual development programme (ADP) could be implemented in the first six months of the current fiscal. She told the top bureaucrats to take measures to implement more than 90 percent of the ADP
"Many times it was seen that development projects couldn't be implemented due to legal obstacles. 1 don't want to hear that a development project has been stalling because of a certain law or rule or a regulation." she told the secretaries in her opening remarks in the meeting with them.
"Come to me with suggestions to find the ways out of all problems,” Hasina said in the closed door meeting with the top bureaucrats, according to many of the participants.
Hasina also directed the top civil bureaucrats to do their jobs neutrally to ensure good governance in the country.
"She suggested them not to lead luxurious lives, since the salaries and allowances of the government employees come from the taxes paid by the people," Cabinet Secretary Abdul Aziz told reporters.
The prime minister also assured the government officials of an environment that will
ensure their full job satisfaction, and will give them ample scope for proving merits, skills, and efficiency.
"As a citizen of die countty. you aLso practice your voting rights. But as a government official, work by keeping yourself above anything partisan." she stressed.
The AL chief also directed officials concerned to immediately submit reports about the progress in implementing ministry projects with problems identified.