Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday urged residents of Dhaka city to be aware of waste removal.
“Yesterday [Friday], I visited the activities for the removal of sacrificial waste in the city. The city corporation cleaners have worked to a large extent and cleaned various places, but there are still many places left. You (city dwellers) should keep the city clean from your own position,” he said.
The prime minister said, “When you see pictures of other countries on this TV screen, where there are beautiful roads, clean roads, don’t you get a little jealous in your mind why our roads are so dirty?
“But I get jealous that the roads of that country are so clean. Why are the roads of my country not clean? Now, the roads of that country are clean, no one comes from outside and makes it so. Just as the city corporation cleaners of that country clean the roads, the people of that country also do not throw garbage everywhere,” he said.
Tarique Rahman made the remarks while speaking at a food and clothes distribution programme at Jurain in the capital this afternoon on the occasion of the 45th martyrdom anniversary of former president Ziaur Rahman.
Calling upon people not to throw garbage everywhere, he said, “The only thing you can do as a commoner is to try not to throw garbage everywhere, to dump garbage properly. Because, today if you think that the garbage you throw here is one kilogram or two kilogram.”
The prime minister said, “Think about it, if all the people here, thousands of us, each throw one kilogram of waste in one place, how much waste will there be? It will be 10,000 kilograms of garbage.”
He said that if all dump waste in designated spots, it will be easier for the cleaners to clean those.
“Cleaners are also human beings… These people spend the whole day in the sun, in the dust… They also have difficulty in cleaning the garbage.”
Tarique said if all try together, it will be possible to keep the city clean.
“And a cleaner can clean a small area. So your children, yourself, your parents, and family members can also live in a clean and beautiful environment.”
“Take the garbage in your pocket…when you eat nuts, throw the waste of nuts in one place so that the place does not get dirty,” he told city dwellers.
The prime minister said this country does not belong to anyone or any government or any political party or any family or individual alone. About 20 crore people, who live in Bangladesh, are the owner of country.
“If this country has to be built, each of us has to be aware. If this country has to be taken forward in a good way, each of us has to work hard.”
Tarique said, “Let us take an oath today on this martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman – we will build the country together. If you love your area, if you love your country…let us try to do that work.”
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, BNP Industrial Affairs Secretary Salah Uddin Ahmed, and Dhaka South Member Secretary Tanvir Ahmed Robin were present, among others.
