State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Thursday said the deputy commissioners have been asked to strengthen measures for protecting rivers from pollution, encroachment and restoring navigability. “The DCs have an important role in maintaining navigability of rivers and free those from illegal occupation and pollution as the deputy commissioners are the chief the of district committee dealing with river protection,” he said. Read:BIWTA to buy over 42 dredgers to protect rivers: Khalid The state minister came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after the end of the 2nd session on the 3rd day of the DCs Conference at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. “Rivers are losing navigability due to illegal sand lifting from the riverbed, which creates obstructions on river routes. The DCs have been asked to strongly monitor it,” he said. Besides, the DC’s were asked to strengthen their surveillance to check illegal activities in land ports in the country, said Khalid. Read:Spain to invest in shipbuilding sector: Shipping minister However, the DCs have made some proposals to develop the river ports in Hatiya and Bhola and make those  passengers-friendly, he said adding “Already we have taken steps in this regard.” Replying to a question about river accidents, the Minister said, “Many major accidents have occurred on river routes recently and some irregularities are there in this sector but it is not possible to change the sector in a day.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to perform their lawful responsibilities rising above all kinds of fear and greed to ensure the welfare of people and steer the country towards prosperity."For the welfare of people, you’ll have to rise above all kinds of fear and greed, and perform your lawful responsibilities," she said.Sheikh Hasina said this while addressing the inaugural session of DCs’ Conference 2022 that took place at Osmani Memorial Auditorium. She joined the programme virtually joining it from her official residence Ganobhaban.Hasina said it is the goal of her government to materialise Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dreams -- building a prosperous Bangladesh and enabling the Bangalee nation to move on the global stage keeping its head ever high."I believe with the sincere efforts of all establishing good governance and attaining inclusive growth it’ll be possible for us to achieve Father of the Nation's dream through building his Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal)," she said.The Prime Minister also asked the top officials of the field administration to find out if any freedom fighters and family members of martyred freedom fighters are living in misery. Read: PM’s 24-point directive to DCs to improve public servicesShe said it is not acceptable that the members of any family of the martyred freedom fighters will be living on begging and in discreditable condition. "At least, as long as I’m in power, I don’t want to see that."The Prime Minister said the country has achieved the status of a developing nation due to the steps taken by the government and implementation of different visionary progeammes."Now our responsibilities have increased many folds…we’ve to advance further because we’ve to make Bangladesh a developed and prosperous country," she said.Hasina mentioned that the country was moving fast but the Covid-19 pandemic put hurdles on its development journey.Hasina asked the field officials to put special a attention to the poverty eradication in rural areas and make them self-reliant. "We’ve taken various measurers and we put the highest importance to those. To make Bangladesh free from poverty, we’ve to develop the living standard of the grassroots level people; we’ve to develop further."The PM mentioned that the government has taken massive programmes to provide urban facilities in rural areas so that the tendency of villagers to move to urban areas decline. "District administrations have to supervise those with utmost care as we’re giving the highest importance to rural development and creating employment opportunities in the rural areas."She also asked the DCs that it is their responsibility to make overall development of a district. Read: Govt wants to build knowledge-based society: PMSheikh Hasina stressed the need for coordination among the public representatives and the officials of the administration, including the DCs, saying Zila Porishad, Upazila Porishod and Union Council representatives have some commitments to their people, and the DCs will have work to this end.Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Principal secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, Cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, Divisional commissioner of Khulna Ismail Hossain, Deputy Commissioners of Rangpur M Asif Ahsan and Chandpur Anjana Khan Majlish also spoke at the programme.The conference has been shortened to a three-day one from a five-day one and shifted to the Osmani Memorial Auditorium instead of holding at the meeting room of the Cabinet division due to the fresh Covid-19 surge. The issues including Covid-19, land management, law enforcement, strengthening activities of local government, disaster management, poverty reduction and employment at the local level, social safety net activities, ICT and e-governance, education, health, environment, physical infrastructure and development activities are expected to be highlighted during the three-day DCs’ conference being held. A video on development activities of the government was also screened at the event.