Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the government officials to ensure optimum utilisation of domestic resources to help achieve Bangladesh’s goal to become a developed country. "Whatever resources the country has, we have to utilise those to advance the country. Inshallah, the forward march of Bangladesh will continue," she told a function marking the signing of the Annual Performance Agreement (APA) of ministries and their subordinate bodies. The programme was held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium with the PM joining it from her official residence Ganobhaban. Read: PM calls Padma Bridge a milestone to change the fate of people: PM Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain and Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam were present on the dais at the programme at Osmani Memorial Auditorium side. PM Hasina said that the construction Padma Bridge with own resources has brightened Bangladesh’s image abroad and earned respect for the people. Banglalees will now move around the world with their heads held high, she said. She mentioned that vested quarters made lives of her family members, the then-communication minister, an advisor and the then-secretary miserable levelling false allegation against them. She once again said, “I knew that there was no corruption happened in Padma Bridge project. I had that belief. At one stage I declared to construct the Bridge with own financing.” She recalled that many in the country and abroad could not believe that Bangladesh would be able to construct the Bridge with its own resources. "Today we have done that, this is not only a brick-cement-steel-iron made concrete infrastructure, this is the symbol of our self-dignity," she reiterated. This Padma Bridge she said, is the symbol of “our victory and honour as we the Bangalee nation are the victorious nation that got Independence through the Liberation War.” "We have to move with confidence that yes we can. Not only the developed countries can do, we also can do. Inshallah, we will be able to establish ourselves as the developed country and that is our belief." She said that her government has been able to realize most of what Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamt in a building “Sonar Bangla”, a nation of happiness and prosperity. She said that huge non-perishable goods from the southern region will now be transported through the Padma Bridge uplifting the region. She asked the officials to accelerate the development of wholesale markets at Amin Bazar, Mohakhali, Sayeedabad/Kanchpur and Postogola/Keramiganj for the better management of these goods. Read: Cost very reasonable, no scope for corruption: PM on Padma Bridge project "We have to build those to reduce the pressure at Karwan Bazar area," she said. She also put emphasis on building ring road around the capital city for smooth traffic and transportation of commodities. Talking about flood, the prime minister said the people will have to live with it as Bangladesh is a flood-prone country. "All our planning is to save lives of the people," she said. She again urged all to maintain safety measures to protect themselves from Covid-19 infections. The PM said the government would implement her party Awami League’s electoral pledges and thus uplift the people’s living standard. “We want to implement the electoral pledges through which we assumed power,” she said. She said the government has transformed Bangladesh into a developing country in 2021 while the nation celebrated twin mega events, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu and 50 years of the country’s independence, in accordance with the Awami League’s election manifesto of 2008. She said her government has now been working tirelessly to ensure a better life for the people by making Bangladesh into a developed country, free from poverty and hunger by 2041. "The government has been implementing a perspective plan for 2021-2041 to pursue the target," she added. Earlier, senior secretaries and secretaries in charge of various ministries and divisions handed over a copy of their respective APA to the prime minister. The cabinet secretary, on behalf of the prime minister, signed the APA. Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq received the APA on behalf of the prime minister. Under the agreement, the ministries will set their visions, missions and strategic goals in line with the development priorities of the government, take short- and long-term plans as per budgetary allocations. The government introduced the method of the APA in the 2014-2015 fiscal year for the public sector to ensure institutional transparency, accountability, proper utilisation of resources and, above all, enhancing the institutional efficiencies. The main objectives of introducing APA are moving the focus of the ministry from process-orientation to result-orientation, and providing an objective and fair basis to evaluate the overall performance of the ministries and divisions at the end of the year. The APA is an internal mechanism of the civil administration from top to the grassroots level to ensure accountability of the government officials aimed at evaluating their yearly performances and making them accountable to their responsibilities. The government has signed the APA with the ministries and their subordinate bodies which also included divisional, district and upazila-level offices of the government. Mozammel Huq, on behalf of the PM, handed over the APA and national integrity service awards among the winners.