Staff Reporter:
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed yesterday called on government officials to perform their duties with
patriotism, integrity and professionalism while remaining completely free from political bias to fulfill the
expectations of the people.
"The civil service is one of the most privileged sections of society. Officials should not consider
themselves rulers but rather public servants dedicated to serving the people," he said.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of a four-day workshop titled "Efficient,
Citizen-Friendly and Accountable Public Administration: Strategies for Implementing the Government's
Commitments" at the BCS Administration Academy in Shahbag marking the National Public Service
Day-2026.
Describing the civil service as the driving force of the state, Salahuddin stressed that transparency and
accountability must be ensured at every level of the administration to transform public service into a
genuine servant of the people.
The event was chaired by Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md. Ehsanul Hoque.
Rector (Secretary) of the BCS Administration Academy Dr. Mohammad Altaf-Ul-Alam attended as
special guest, while Additional Secretary (CPT) Mohammad Monirul Islam delivered the welcome
address.
Salahuddin said workshops should produce tangible benefits for citizens rather than being organized
merely as formal exercises or to attract attention from higher authorities.
Emphasizing the need for evidence-based policymaking, he called for comprehensive reforms in the
country's statistical system, alleging that key national statistics, including census data, agricultural
production figures and per capita income, had been distorted during the previous regime for political
purposes.
The minister said the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) should be strengthened into one of the
country's most important public institutions to ensure accurate data for effective policy formulation.
