United News of Bangladesh

The government will soon take decision whether it will hold local government elections before the national polls, said Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan on Tuesday.  “Although discussions are in progress no final decision has been made yet. Either election will be held or administrators will be appointed to run local government institutions," he told reporters at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium on the final day of the Deputy Commissioners' (DC) Conference.  The adviser said officials who are currently managing local government institutions alongside their primary responsibilities are facing challenges. "Divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners are burdened with multiple works. I personally believe that electing public representatives is necessary to ensure proper governance," he said.  Adviser Rizwana directs DCs to protect rivers, hills and forests Responding to a question,  Asif Mahmud said that elected representatives would help maintain law and order and contribute to smoother election management. “However, the final decision rests with the government.”  Now a common complaint is the difficulty in obtaining birth, or death certificates due to the unavailability of dedicated officials, he said.

Deputy Commissioners (DCs) on Tuesday recommended deployment of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel in a greater number in the country’s frontier areas to bolster national security in addition to enhanced security measures for waterways. Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said this while briefing reporters at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. The briefing followed the third-day session of the Deputy Commissioners' Conference, which included discussions under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture. DCs propose military training for Bangladeshi youths “In our session, the primary focus was on improving law and order and advancing the agricultural sector. The Deputy Commissioners suggested increasing the deployment of BGB personnel along border areas, strengthening waterway security through a higher presence of river police, and augmenting manpower in Gazipur Metropolitan and Industrial Police units. We are reviewing these matters with great importance and have assured necessary consideration,” said Jahangir Alam. He said that the overall law-and-order situation remains satisfactory but has room for improvement. “Law enforcement operations are progressively enhancing security. To ensure continued progress, ‘Operation Devil Hunt’ is being conducted across the country,” he added. Highlighting corruption as the nation’s most pressing issue, Jahangir Alam said, “If corruption is not eradicated at its roots, the country’s desired progress will remain unachievable. It is essential to curb corruption at all levels. Accordingly, instructions have been given to the Deputy Commissioners.” DCs asked to bring doctors, traders in upazilas under tax net: Finance Adviser Chaired by Cabinet Secretary Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid, the session was addressed, among others, by Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser. Among other attendees were Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Gani, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam BPM, and heads of various departments and agencies under both ministries.

Deputy Commissioners (DCs) on Tuesday proposed the introduction of universal military training for youths, aiming to involve them in the country’s defence efforts. The proposal was made during the DCs Conference at Osmani Auditorium in Dhaka in a session focused on the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces Division. Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Hafiz shared this information with journalists after the session. He said that the DCs had raised questions on enhancing civil-military cooperation, asking whether the orientations that civil officers provided at the division level could be expanded to strengthen understanding between civil administrations and military forces. The DCs also enquired about the possibility of arranging universal military training for the youth, where they could receive military training and actively contribute to the country’s defense, Lt Gen (retd) Hafiz added. Open discussion sheds spotlight on gender-sensitive language in media Hafiz also spoke about the discussions that had taken place regarding special operations in certain districts against terrorists. The deputy commissioners had suggested that operations be conducted in remote or char areas, where a larger force might have been required or logistical challenges had to be addressed. The meeting also discussed how the Bangladesh Navy could assist civil administrations in safeguarding resources in the country’s rivers, especially in anti-jhatka (hilsa fry) operations. Abdul Hafiz mentioned concerns about the impact of the Kuki-Chin National Front’s terrorist activities in the hill tracts, which had severely disrupted the tourism industry in several districts. This disruption had led to unemployment among the local youths, pushing them towards terrorism. The deputy commissioners had asked how to resolve this issue. When asked about the proposed universal military training for youths, Abdul Hafiz said that through the Ansar VDP, training had already been provided in every union of each upazila. One deputy commissioner had suggested expanding this programme, which would have required political decisions and financial considerations. He added that if the government provides directions, the Armed Forces are ready to implement the plan. Regarding the ongoing "Operation Devil Hunt," Abdul Hafiz said that nearly 6,000 weapons had been looted, and over three-fourths of them had been recovered. He considered this a major success, though 250,000 bullets were still to be recovered. He assured that the remaining weapons would be retrieved through ongoing operations. He also addressed the situation in Narsingdi’s char areas, where terrorism had been increasing. Seven army members have been killed and many others injured in the ongoing operation against the Kuki-Chin National Front, which would continue until the group is eliminated.

The three-day annual conference of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) will begin on Sunday. Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus will inaugurate the conference at 10:30 am at his office, said Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid during a briefing at the Secretariat on Saturday. As in previous years, the main venue of the DC conference will be the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. The Cabinet Secretary also said this year's conference will include a total of 30 working sessions with various ministries and departments, along with four special sessions. Pilkhana massacre part of 'international conspiracy' to keep AL in power: AG The special sessions include the inaugural ceremony, a meeting with the Chief Justice, an open discussion with the Chief Adviser, and a meeting with the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association. Some 354 proposals have been received from DCs and divisional commissioners ahead of the conference, which will conclude on February 18 (Tuesday).