Law and order will be a priority at DC Conference, says cabinet secretary

Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid has said the forthcoming Deputy Commissioner’s Conference will focus on enhancing law and order and strengthening the activities of local government institutions.

The three-day event is set to begin on Sunday in Dhaka, featuring 30 general and four “special” sessions.

“We have nearly completed all preparations for the conference,” the cabinet secretary said at a press conference at the Secretariat on Saturday afternoon.

“The special sessions will include the inaugural ceremony, a meeting with the chief justice, an open discussion with the chief advisor, and a session of the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association,” he added.

The main event will take place at the Shapla Hall of the Chief Advisor’s Office, while the association’s meeting will be held at the Bangladesh China Friendship Exhibition Centre.

The meeting with Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed is scheduled at the Supreme Court.

Rashid said, “This year’s key topics include improving law and order, strengthening local government institutions, land management, disaster management, relief and rehabilitation efforts, employment generation at the local level, and the implementation of poverty alleviation programmes.”

According to him, other topics will cover the use of information and communication technology, e-governance, education improvement and expansion, development of healthcare and family welfare services, family preservation, pollution control, physical infrastructure development, and the implementation of development activities.

The conference will also feature a session with the Election Commission.

Chief election commissioner’s aide Md Ashraful Alam said, "The CEC, the election commissioners and the EC secretary will attend a programme on the evening of Feb 18, the last day of the DC conference, to be held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium."

According to EC officials, the commission usually sits with field-level officers before the election. This is the first time the Election Commission is participating in the DC conference.

Md Khaled Rahim, additional secretary of the district and field administration wing of the Cabinet Division, says the agency received a total of 1,245 proposals from the divisional commissioners and DCs on the occasion of the conference.

Out of these, 353 proposals have been included in the schedule for discussion at the conference.

According to the Cabinet Division’s progress report, the 2024 DC conference resulted in 381 decisions, comprising 119 short-term, 192 medium-term, and 70 long-term resolutions.

Implementation rates stand at 64 percent for short-term, 40 percent for medium-term, and 36 percent for long-term decisions.