Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday said he does not want to transform Bangladesh into another Singapore or Canada, but rather build “a better Bangladesh,” stressing that such a goal can only be achieved through collective efforts.

Speaking at an interaction with local civil society members and politicians at Long Beach Hotel in Cox’s Bazar at night, he called upon all citizens to work together for the country’s development.

“We often heard promises that Bangladesh would be turned into Singapore or Canada. I do not want to make Bangladesh something else. I want to make Bangladesh a little better. If we can make our country a little better, that will be good for all of us,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the goal cannot be achieved by the government alone. “We all have to work together.”

Highlighting the importance of developing Cox’s Bazar into a cleaner and more organised town, Tarique Rahman said he noticed a large signboard while entering the town describing it as home to the world’s longest sandy sea beach.

“You all represent Cox’s Bazar. If you want to showcase Cox’s Bazar to the world, all of you must come forward. You can build Cox’s Bazar as a clean town,” he said.

The Prime Minister also stressed the need for discipline in urban management and traffic movement.

“You can make Cox’s Bazar a disciplined town where vehicles follow traffic rules, park properly and move in an orderly manner ...It should be a town where people feel safe while walking,” he added.

Questioning why Cox’s Bazar had not witnessed expected development over the past 17 years, Tarique Rahman said many projects that should have been completed long ago have remained unfinished.

“Since returning to Bangladesh, I have travelled to different parts of the country over the last four and a half months. Everywhere I went, I felt that many of the projects now being discussed should have been completed during the last 17 years. But they were not,” he said.

The Prime Minister said a large amount of work has accumulated over the years and must now be addressed.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us. If we want to transform the country, improve people’s lives and take Bangladesh to a better place, we must undertake many initiatives,” he said.

Tarique Rahman also spoke about plans to further strengthen Cox’s Bazar’s strategic and economic importance, mentioning the development of Cox’s Bazar Airport into a fully-fledged international airport and the establishment of a Marine University in the district.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, State Minister for Water Resources Forhad Hossain Azad, State Minister for Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin, State Minister for Jute and Textiles Md Shariful Alam, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam, local lawmakers and BNP leaders attended the programme.

The Prime Minister’s wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, and Hasina Ahmed, wife of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, were also present.

After the programme, the Prime Minister, accompanied by his wife, personally drove along the Marine Drive to inspect the area and the sea beach.

He later left Cox’s Bazar for Dhaka on a flight from the airport around 12:15am on Sunday.