City Desk :
President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Tuesday called upon all political parties of the country to give priority to public interest in adopting and implementing political programmes.
He was addressing the function at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Community Clinic’s 24th founding anniversary in Dhaka, reports UNB.
Stating that the main aim and objective of politics is public welfare, he said public interest should be given priority in all decisions taken by governments and politicians.
“Who or what government took the decision is not important – what matters is whether the decision is taken in public interest or whether public interest is being protected,” he said.
He also said subverting public interest for political expediency exposes the vindictive nature of politics.
“After the change of power in the 2001 election, this popular initiative to get health care for marginalised people was stopped. It was a vindictive anti-public interest decision of the then government,” he added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina started the community clinic on April 26, 2000 in Gimadanga of Gopalganj district to ensure health care for the marginalised people of the country. He also requested to avoid such programmes as the development and progress of the country is hindered and the suffering of the people increases.
“Work together irrespective of party affiliations and opinions to make all the public interest-related initiatives of the government successful,” he added.
President Shahabuddin put emphasis on extending all-out cooperation to ensure a sustainable progress of the community clinic, a public welfare institution of the country.
Noting that public interest should be given priority in every aspect of the government’s activities, the president said, “In addition to food, clothing, shelter and education, multifaceted programs are adopted and implemented to reach medical services at people’s doorsteps to improve public health.”
Mentioning that community clinics have become the place of people’s trust in terms of medical care for marginalized people, especially women and children, the president said the utility and reputation of the community clinic has spread beyond the village-town to the national level and even around the world as well.
He said a total of the ‘Ten Special Initiatives’, including community clinic activities, shelter house, electricity for all, my home my farm, social security programme were taken by the government to materialize the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build a ‘Sonar Bangla’ and to fulfil the basic needs of the people.
He said this historic proposal by the United Nations under the title of ‘Community Clinic’, ‘The Sheikh Hasina Initiative’ is an important international recognition of Bangladesh government’s innovative leadership in primary health care in public-private partnership.