Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday called upon city dwellers to be more conscious and play their part in keeping Dhaka clean, saying maintaining cleanliness is not only the responsibility of the city corporations but also of every citizen.
Speaking at a programme in Jatrabari’s Jurain area where food items and clothes were distributed among poor people marking the 45th death anniversary of former President Ziaur Rahman, he also said residents should avoid littering, and instead dispose of waste properly to help keep the capital clean.
Referring to his inspection of sacrificial waste removal activities across the city on Friday, the Prime Minister said sanitation workers have already cleared a large portion of the waste, though work remained unfinished in some areas.
“You (city dwellers) can do something yourselves…Just think about it -- if your neighbourhood remains clean, you will naturally feel good about it,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said many people admire the clean streets seen in other countries and often wonder why their own roads cannot be kept in the same condition.
“I do feel envious when I see how clean the roads are in those countries. Why aren’t our roads clean? The roads in those countries are not cleaned by outsiders. In countries where the roads are clean, the city corporation sanitation workers keep them clean, but at the same time the citizens there also do not throw garbage here and there,” he said.
The Prime Minister urged the city residents not to litter and said even a small amount of waste discarded by each individual eventually turns into a huge volume when multiplied by thousands of people.
“If everyone throws even a small amount of rubbish wherever they like, it quickly piles up. But if we all dispose of waste in the proper place, it will make the job much easier for sanitation workers,” he said.
Tarique Rahman also stressed that conservancy workers endure difficult conditions while carrying out their duties and deserve cooperation from citizens.
He said a cleaner city would benefit everyone by creating a healthier and more pleasant environment for residents and their families.
The Prime Minister said keeping the city clean does not require anyone to be a minister, MP, mayor or councillor, as every citizen can contribute through simple responsible behaviour.
He said Bangladesh belongs to all its people and not to any single government, political party, family or individual.
“The country belongs to its people. Every citizen is a stakeholder in Bangladesh. If we want to build a better country, all of us must become more conscious and work together,” Tarique Rahman said.
He called on people to take a pledge on the occasion of Ziaur Rahman’s death anniversary to contribute, however modestly, to the welfare of their areas and the country.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam, BNP Industries Affairs Secretary Alhaj Salahuddin Ahmed and Dhaka South BNP Member Secretary Tanvir Ahmed Robin, among others, were present.