The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Law and Information Adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein yesterday said, we are anxious to create public awareness of what good governance is.

The government is for a short term and not eager for propaganda. It is working to make democracy workable through institutional reforms.

The Adviser was addressing while inaugurating the fortnight-long country-wide Mass Awareness Programme of the Department of Mass Communication on the occasion of completion of one year of the present caretaker government.

Acting information secretary Jamil Osman presided over the function held at the auditorium of the Press Institute of Bangladesh. Director General of the Department of Mass Communication Md Abdul Mannan delivered the welcome address on the occasion.

The Adviser explaining the various activities of the government during the last year said, the fundamental spirit of the liberation war was for establishing democracy in the country to serve people's interest best but democracy failed to work. The present caretaker government is working to create an environment for attaining sustainable democracy.

Our fight against corruption became necessary for good governance.

Barrister Mainul said, the government has strengthened the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to combat corruption and separated the judiciary from the executive to ensure rule of law in the country.

It is important for making the government corruption-free to ensure that nobody, however highly placed, must not feel above the law. "We are not going against corruption for political victimisation. It is for the court to decide who is corrupt."

During the new year, the people would get the benefits of the measures the caretaker government has so far undertaken, Barrister Mainul expressed the hope.

The press is working independently now despite the Emergency Power Rules, the Adviser said adding, the mass media has to play an important role for making future democracy successful.

Barrister Mainul said, the process of preparing voters' list and national identity (ID) cards is progressing nicely and the EC would be able to complete it soon.

The Adviser expected that introduction of ID cards would be useful at home and abroad and enhance the image of the country internationally.

"Anybody is not a politician. A politician is known for his selfless dedication for doing good to the people." Barrister Hosein emphasised.

The lack of the mentality of working for the welfare of the people caused damages to the nation in the past and due to this the functioning of the Chittagong Port was hampered for many years, the Adviser said adding that many other organisations also could not function properly.

"With the cooperation of the Joint Forces, the government has restored the discipline in the Chittagong Port and "we have been able to utilise the full capacity of the port now," the Adviser said adding that the efficiency of the port authority has been enhanced by 40 percent.

"There was neither the need for Emergency for keeping the caretaker government in power nor to enable it to make laws, rather the Emergency was needed to maintain law and order and save the people from political anarchy.

Referring to the achievements of the government during its rule in a year he said, during this period, the country fetched Taka 230.60 crore as remittance during the first five months of the current fiscal year, that was 21 percent more in the same period of last fiscal, and the country is maintaining a reserve of over US $5 billion.

The present government has brought back over Taka 900 crore which was drained out of the country in the past and recovered 40,000 acres of khas land and over 9 lakh acres of forest land from illegal occupation, the Adviser pointed out.

The government has formed Better Business Forum to boost the country's economic activities by integrating the private and the public sectors in the development process, Barrister Mainul Hosein said.

The government has formed a committee on Public Administration Reforms and Good Governance under the leadership of the Chief Adviser, and a Regulatory Reforms Commission. Land registration system has been simplified and the laws on land have been reformed, he said.

Lauding the work of officers of the Mass Communication, the Adviser made clear that they should keep in mind not propaganda for the government but the need of public awareness of the responsibilities of good governance.

Besides, formation of Citizen Charter at different service organisations, One Stop Service at police stations, establishing passport offices at 17 districts are also major important tasks that the present government has undertaken to ensure better service to the people, the Adviser Mainul Hosein added.

The government, on principle, has decided to establish metro rail in order to resolve traffic jam in Dhaka, he said.

Information Secretary Jamil Osman said, the achievements the caretaker government undertook was to ensure service to the people and for this reason it is needed to highlight those so that the people could be involved with the policy and programmes of the government.

He praised the Department of Mass Communication for playing a vital role in creating awareness among the people by educating them about various health, nutrition, family welfare and education issues and also reaching the benefits of the programmes undertaken by the government to their doorsteps.