Curbing prices of essentials, preventing corruption, ensuring health service facilities and improving law and order got top priority during the four-day DC Conference that ended on Wednesday.
It was the first meeting of DCs with the head of government after the Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina had formed the government for the fourth consecutive term.
In the conference, the DCs apprised the premier and other ministers of various field-level problems and pro-people issues and sought support from the government in addressing those problems.
Some 356 proposals, including on enhancing public services, reducing public hassles, improving law and order, strengthening local government institutions and creating jobs at local level, were placed by the Divisional Commissioners and DCs on 52 ministries and divisions.
Ministers, advisors, state ministers and secretaries of 52 ministries took part in the conference while Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain presided over the sessions.
The premier along with her council of ministers assured the DCs of meeting their demands to achieve the target of building a smart Bangladesh with non-stop progress and free from corruption.
The premier directed the field-level administration to become tough on any sort of hoarding and adulteration as some unscrupulous traders are indulging in making quick money creating artificial crises through hoarding of food, and engaging in adulteration.
Sources in the meeting said most of the DCs highlighted the poor facilities at hospitals in their respective districts. Some DCs urged the government to set up medical universities to ensure better health care service to the citizens.
Speaking at a meeting, Jhenaidah DC urged the government to appoint expert psychiatrists at the government-run hospital as the suicide rate in the district is high.
Rangpur divisional commissioner Habibur Rahman urged the government to take measures to increase the quality of service in the char areas of Roumari Upazila in Kurigram.
Barishal DC Shahidul Islam urged the government to set up a full-fledged medical university in his district.
Being apprised of various field-level problems, the government directed the DCs to raise their voices against the negative propaganda of the political opponents about the development activities of the government.
The DCs have also been asked to prevent corruption, and address drug abuse.
Besides, other issues, including construction of roads and highways and bridges, expansion of tourism, land management, disaster management and relief programme, implementation of poverty alleviation programme, use of information and communication technology and e-governance, improving standard of education, conservation of environment and prevention of pollution, were also discussed.
A statistic shows that some 212 short, medium and long term decisions were taken in the annual conference of 2023, and 130 of those have been implemented while 82 others are being implemented.