A total of 498 proposals submitted by divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners will be discussed at the policy level during the four-day Deputy Commissioner (DC) Conference beginning on May 3.
The conference, aimed at sharing field-level administrative experiences and recommendations on key issues such as public service delivery, land management, law and order, drug control, infrastructure development and social safety, is the first major administrative event of the year.
According to the Cabinet Division, the conference will run from May 3 to May 6, covering discussions on 56 ministries, divisions, offices and organisations across 34 working sessions. Advisors, senior secretaries and secretaries of the ministries concerned will participate, while the Cabinet Secretary will preside over the sessions.
DC Conference to be held May 3-6
Joint Secretary (District and Field Administration Branch) of the Cabinet Division Mohammad Khorshed Alam told UNB that a total of 1,729 proposals were received from eight divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners of 64 districts.
After scrutiny, 498 proposals were finalised for discussion, while the rest were excluded due to duplication, disagreement or prior discussion in earlier meetings.
The inaugural session will be held at 10:30am on May 3 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.
It will be inaugurated in the presence of the Prime Minister, followed by an open discussion between the deputy commissioners and the Prime Minister. The concluding session will also take place at the same venue.
In addition, courtesy meetings have been arranged between district administrators and the President, Chief Justice, Speaker, and chiefs of the three-armed forces, which was not included in last year’s conference.
The DC conference is held annually to facilitate direct dialogue between policymakers and field administration officials. Last year, the event was held for three days in February during the interim government.
Officials said that apart from the scheduled agenda, deputy commissioners will also be able to raise urgent issues during the sessions.
According to the Cabinet Division, this year’s proposals focus on reducing public suffering, improving land management, expanding healthcare and public services, developing infrastructure, strengthening law and order, modernising disaster management, creating employment, alleviating poverty and enhancing the social safety net.
Increasing the use of information and communication technology to combat misinformation has also been highlighted.
Several proposals have also been placed on education and administrative reforms. These include proposals to amend laws to allow executive magistrates to take swift action against irregularities in admission and recruitment examinations, the formulation of a policy for establishing Qawmi madrasas, appointment of teachers for minority languages, and the establishment of a public university in Faridpur.
Other recommendations include ensuring the security of field administration officials, strengthening local government institutions and expanding their activities.
Drug control has also been identified as a key concern. The proposals note that efforts to build a drug-free society are being undermined by the involvement of influential individuals and weaknesses in law enforcement, calling for stronger measures to curb cross-border drug trafficking.
In the water management and agriculture sector, urgent calls have been made for the construction of the Padma Barrage to protect the southwestern region from the impact of the Farakka Barrage in India.
Immediate maintenance and rehabilitation of the Ganga-Kapotaksha Irrigation Project has also been proposed to ensure irrigation facilities across around 150,000 hectares of land in Kushtia, Chuadanga, Magura and Jhenaidah districts.