Be sensitive to the dignity of peoples’ representatives, minister tells DCs

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen has instructed the deputy commissioners (DCs) to be more sensitive towards people representatives including lawmakers, so that they get the respect they deserve at the local administration levels and various government offices.

The minister said this while talking to newspersons on the last day of a three-day conference of the DCs in Dhaka on Thursday.

Speaking about the instructions for the DCs, the minister said, “People’s representatives even lawmakers have told us that many times local administration or other government offices do now show respect to them. They have been elected and they have taken oath, but these issues do not get consideration. The DCs should be more sensitive on these matters. It is very saddening that work is not carried out in coordination with peoples’ representatives. That is why these instructions have been given.”

The minister also informed the DCs of the grievances of expatriates at the local level and urged them to be more sensitive about this.

He said there are more than 10 million (1 crore) expatriates. They often allege they do not receive passports, police clearance, marriage and birth certificates on time. They often face harassment after returning home. Many of them also find their land grabbed. Many times, there are problems in bringing the dead bodies of expatriates home.

The minister expected the DCs would be more sensitive over these matters so that these services become more accessible to expatriates.

Abdul Momen further said many times local administrations avoid their responsibilities and forward their tasks to Dhaka thouhh that they can these themselves. As a result, everything becomes Dhaka-centric. The DCs also have been instructed to be conscious of this, he added.