United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Spokesperson Mahdi Amin on Monday said the government's 10 people-oriented initiatives around Eid-ul-Azha brought visible positive changes to Eid management and ensured the smooth celebration of the country’s second-largest religious festival. “Special emphasis was placed on 10 public-oriented issues in the government's activities centred around this year's Eid-ul-Azha,” he said while speaking at a press conference at the Karobi Hall of the PMO. Mahdi Amin said the 10 initiatives were taken as per Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s instructions to ensure smooth and hassle-free Eid celebrations. The initiatives included ensuring hassle-free Eid travel, payment of workers’ wages and allowances, protection of the domestic cattle market, swift waste removal, discipline in public transport, curbing extortion and syndicates, uninterrupted power supply, public safety, proper management of the rawhide sector and maintaining stability in the prices of essential commodities. “The coordinated implementation of these initiatives has brought visible positive changes to different aspects of Eid management and reflected the government’s efforts to make public services more people-oriented,” Mahdi Amin, also prime minister’s adviser, said. He said the government remains committed to addressing future challenges, strengthening the rule of law and democratic values, and institutionalising good governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The PMO spokesperson acknowledged that it is not possible to completely overcome the institutional decline and damage caused over the past 16 years within only three months of the new government. “Despite that reality, people experienced during this Eid that the state is responsive to their needs and that the administration is not merely a centre of power but a responsible and effective service provider,” he said. Mahdi Amin said all ministers, advisers, members of parliament and officials concerned worked with the highest level of sincerity and accountability to ensure smooth observance of the first Eid-ul-Azha under the elected government. He said the government will continue efforts to quickly address any shortcomings or coordination gaps identified in the course of implementation. The PMO spokesperson said extended public holidays, strengthened traffic monitoring, and coordinated transport management helped reduce long-standing congestion on highways, making Eid journeys comparatively smoother than in previous years, although several road accidents still claimed lives in different parts of the country. He also said most garment workers received wages and bonuses on time, contributing to a peaceful and festive atmosphere in industrial areas, with no major disruption reported ahead of the holiday. Mahdi Amin said strict measures were taken to prevent illegal cattle inflow through the border in order to protect the interests of local farmers. “Continuous monitoring was maintained at cattle markets across the country, ensuring adequate supply of sacrificial animals, including cows, goats, buffaloes and sheep.” He said the crackdown on illegal cattle smuggling and control over long-standing syndicates helped small and medium traders conduct business in a more stable environment. “The relocation of cattle markets from roadsides to open spaces also reduced traffic congestion and public inconvenience.” On waste management, the PMO spokesperson said most sacrificial waste in Dhaka was removed within 8-12 hours after Eid, describing it as a significant improvement compared to previous years. He also highlighted transport sector management and said efforts to curb overcharging, improve safety measures and introduce special facilities for passengers helped ensure more orderly movement during the holiday period. Mahdi Amin said coordinated action against extortion and syndicates in cattle transport helped keep market prices relatively stable, while uninterrupted electricity supply was largely maintained despite high demand. He said enhanced market monitoring helped keep essential commodity prices under control during the festive period, though challenges remained due to long-standing structural issues in the economy. The PMO spokesperson said the government is committed to further improving coordination among agencies and strengthening public service delivery in future national festivals. He said the coordinated implementation of these measures has demonstrated that the government's efforts are intended to make public services more responsive and citizen-centric. Mahdi Amin said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had issued clear directives to ministers, lawmakers and other public representatives to celebrate Eid in their respective constituencies and remain close to the people. He said the initiatives reflected a new culture of accountability, administrative coordination and public-oriented governance. The PMO spokesperson said though the effects of what he termed 16 years of “fascist misrule and lack of accountability” could not be removed overnight, people witnessed the government's sincerity and welfare-oriented administrative efforts during the Eid period.