DC conf ends with emphasis on maintaining law and order, commodity market control

The three-day Deputy Commissioner (DC) conference has ended emphasising the anti-adulteration drive, maintaining law and order during the next election and controlling the consumer goods market during the upcoming Ramadan.

Apart from this, various instructions were given to the DCs to improve the health sector at the upazila level, stop rumours in unregistered online media, deal with the dollar crisis during Hajj, protect rivers and dams, etc.

As it is the last DC conference before the next elections, the stakeholders consider this conference very significant.

The third or last day session of the conference began at 9am on Thursday at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain. 

DCs had a courtesy call on the president at Bangabhaban in the evening when he gave many directives to them. At night, the DCs attended a dinner with the president.

In his speech, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has ordered the DCs to be ready to deliver a fair and acceptable national election.

He said, "We have said that a fair and acceptable election is what the people of the country want, the whole world is looking at. Your role will be important for a fair election. So be prepared."

In the conference, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi ordered the DCs to take strict measures to prevent the manipulation of traders on the issue of commodity prices during Ramadan.

This conference started with 245 proposals of DCs on Tuesday. In light of the proposal of the DCs, the special instructions of the government regarding the continuation of various development works in the field administration came to the conference.

On the inauguration day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave 25-point instructions to the DCs in her office. She directed the DCs not to take up unnecessary projects amid the global economic recession. Besides, the prime minister emphasised taking austerity measures where possible.

On the occasion of the conference this year, the president, speaker, chief justice and army chief also met with the DCs.

Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed said that the army sincerely wants to work with the civil administration to complete any responsibility given by the government.

In his speech at the conference, Health Minister Zahid Malek directed the DCs to visit health institutes to ensure that patients are not given unnecessary tests and caesarean deliveries are not performed unnecessarily. 

He also said that the quality of health care at the upazila level is worse compared to that at the district level. So, health care at the upazila level has been improved.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud has asked the DCs to immediately inform him if rumours are spread through unregistered online, IPTV, or YouTube channels at the district level, and to find out the truth and publish it so that people know which one is rumour and which one is true.

State Minister for Water Resources Zahid Farooq said that DCs have been instructed to be vigilant about illegal sand extraction.

"Even though we are a riverine country, we have many problems with water. Due to climate change, the trend of river bank erosion and flooding has increased in Bangladesh. Last year we saw early flooding in rural areas. Even then we did not let the crops get damaged," he added.

The state minister said dams collapse due to illegal sand mining. Meanwhile, DCs have been requested to take care of the issue. He also requested journalists to raise the matter to the people so that awareness increases among all.

Lands Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury has said that even if anyone stays abroad, he can get land deed documents of land in the country. He also said that from next Pahela Baisakh or 14 April, submission of land tax can only be sumbitted online.