Fulfilling the aspirations of the people is the major challenge of the interim government
September 23, 20242 Mins Read
Jumbangla Desk: AF Hasan Arif, adviser to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Lands has commented that meeting the aspirations of the people is a big challenge of the interim government.

He made this comment during a courtesy meeting with Ambassador of Switzerland Reto Ringli at the local government department office of the Secretariat on Monday (September 23) afternoon.

Hasan Arif said that people's expectations of the interim government are high. We are working as a student-labour-public trust. Fulfilling the aspirations of the people is a major challenge of the interim government.

What is the goal of the interim government to strengthen local government? In response to the Swiss ambassador's question, Hasan Arif said that all local government institutions have been destroyed in the last 15 years. Institutions should be strengthened. Local government representatives may not play much of a role in national decision-making. But if public representatives are elected through free and fair elections at all levels of local government, they will actually work for the betterment of the people at the local level.

He said, if the local government institutions are financially independent, they will be able to play a role in decision-making at the national level. We have already removed representatives from all levels of local government elected during the previous government. Administrators have been appointed in City Corporations, Municipalities, Upazilas and Zilla Parishads. The chairman of the union councils where complaints were made, has been removed subject to investigation. We want the real people's representatives at all levels of the local level to win through fair elections.

The advisor said, local government representatives need training. If necessary, trainers can be taken from developed countries, including Switzerland, which have achieved success in local government systems. We expect bilateral or multilateral coordination and cooperation in this regard.

In response to another question from the Swiss ambassador, the adviser said that people from all walks of life wanted a change. We are working with their mandate. We all want an accountable government. Constitutional reform is required for this. The electoral system has been completely destroyed in the last 15 years. A strong election commission should be formed. The current interim government has constituted six commissions to establish good governance in the country.

During this time, health sanitation, small entrepreneurship creation and women empowerment were discussed in detail. Local Government Department Secretary Abu Hena Morshed Zaman, Rural Development and Cooperative Secretary Mosammat Shahanara Khatun, Chief Engineer of Directorate of Public Health Engineering Tushar Mohan Sadhu Khan, Switzerland's Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation Karin Henchz were also present at Advisor Hasan Arif's office. Pignani et al.