PM vows accountable, inclusive governance

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday pledged to build a people-centred, accountable and value-based state, saying his government is committed to strengthening democratic institutions, expanding investment in education and healthcare, and ensuring that authoritarianism, extremism and fascism never return to Bangladesh.

Delivering his winding-up speech at the end of the second and budget session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, the Prime Minister called for national unity, stressing that political differences in a democracy should never descend into hostility or vengeance.

“The government wants to establish a Bangladesh where the state remains accountable to the people, the economy is inclusive, and every citizen enjoys security, dignity and opportunities,” he said.

Thanking lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches for their participation, Tarique Rahman said disagreement was a natural feature of parliamentary democracy but should be resolved through fairness and justice.

“In Parliament, as is the practice across the world, there will naturally be differences of opinion. But there must never be hostility. Instead of vengeance and retaliation, there must be fairness and justice,” he said.

Echoing remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh must never again allow fascism or authoritarianism to re-emerge.

“I firmly believe there is national unity between the treasury and opposition benches, and we will preserve that unity at any cost,” he added.

Education and healthcare priorities
Outlining the government’s development agenda, Tarique Rahman said education expenditure would gradually increase to 5 per cent of GDP over the next five years.

The plan will be accompanied by extensive teacher training programmes to improve educational standards.

He also announced that public health spending would rise from the current 1.2 per cent of GDP to 5 per cent over the same period to rebuild what he described as a weakened healthcare system.

As part of efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare, the Prime Minister said the government had already begun appointing 100,000 healthcare workers nationwide to improve public awareness and expand primary healthcare services.

He added that five specialised 200-bed children’s hospitals—one in each of five divisions—are expected to begin operations by September, providing a total of 1,000 dedicated paediatric beds.

Energy and economic reforms
Criticising the previous administration’s handling of the energy sector, Tarique Rahman alleged that around Tk 3 lakh crore had been lost through corruption over the past one and a half decades, while more than Tk 1.3 lakh crore had been paid as capacity charges to quick rental power plants without corresponding public benefit.

He also accused the previous government of making Bangladesh overly dependent on imported energy while failing to build adequate strategic fuel reserves.

According to the Prime Minister, the current administration has increased the country’s fuel reserves from fewer than 30 days to more than 45 days and aims to raise them to 90 days.

He said the government was also revitalising the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX), enabling it to drill new gas wells and expand exploration using newly imported drilling rigs.

Expressing confidence in the economy, Tarique Rahman said Bangladesh had begun recovering despite global economic uncertainty and international conflicts.

He said sustainable growth would depend on curbing corruption, ensuring equal opportunities, strengthening accountability and harnessing the potential of farmers, entrepreneurs and young people.
Restoring values

The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of restoring family, social and moral values, saying authoritarian rule had eroded not only democratic institutions but also the country’s social fabric.

Calling on lawmakers to promote civic responsibility, he urged citizens to keep public spaces clean and dispose of plastic waste responsibly, saying such everyday actions could significantly improve public health and environmental protection.

Before the House was prorogued, the Prime Minister requested the Speaker to arrange, in line with parliamentary tradition, a one-month basic salary as an honorarium for officials and employees of the Parliament Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and other agencies involved in conducting the budget session.

Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal chaired the sitting, while Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman also delivered his winding-up speech before the Deputy Speaker read out the President’s prorogation order.