“We’ve taken an initiative in this regard following the Prime Minister’s directive,” he told UNB in an exclusive interview.

Farhad said they will approve the ministries’ applications for filling vacant posts instantly. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to fill them up very soon.”

He also promised to do everything to bring back dynamism in the public administration, saying: “We’ve taken steps to make the administration dynamic to take the country to a middle-income status from a lower-income one.”

Asked about the allegation that people are often harassed by district and upazila-level administrations, State Minister Farhad said they are taking steps to build a pro-people administration. “We’re trying to fulfill our goal of delivering quick services to people."

“I myself saw that the general people can’t go to government offices and even if they do, they don’t get proper respect. There’re quite a few errors in this system. We want to build the administration as a pro-people and welfare-oriented one,” he said.

Farhad said the government has taken various programmes in this regard and his ministry has sent messages to grassroots officials. “We’re trying to remind them that people are the source of all power and the administration has to work as service providers,” the state minister said.

People-first policy

Asked about steps taken to make the administration corruption free, he pointed out that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been leading the ministry for 10 years. “She’s ordered zero tolerance against corruption. I’m following that policy,” he said.

He recalled Bangabandhu’s statement that the service seekers are “our siblings, our relatives” and that they have to be given the respect they deserve.

Farhad said the government is working to fulfill these goals and hoped that the standard of public service will rise.

“We want to be prosperous, not individually but collectively,” he said. “We want to make the public administration very people-friendly. In the future, it’ll be of international standard. People won’t be deprived of their desired services if we can build our officials efficiently. We’ll able to reach our goal within five years.”

The state minister said the district and upazila administrations have been ordered to hold weekly hearings to learn about people’s sufferings. “We’re trying to deliver the people’s desired services,” he said.

Farhad said the government wants to ensure good governance at the order of the Prime Minister. “Good governance means showing proper respect to people and delivering their desired services as public servants,” he said.

“I’ll try my best to serve people,” the state minister said.