Editorial
Let culture of service flourish
PM's directive to bureaucrats and diplomats should be taken to heart
We applaud and second the prime minister's directive to civil servants that they must consider and comport themselves as servants of the people, not their masters.
She is absolutely right to suggest that the high-handed manner in which too many government servants act smacks of a colonial, bureaucratic tradition that we should have left behind long ago, and that the people of the country have every right to expect that government officials treat them with dignity and courtesy.
With this in mind, we also would like to comment on the issue of the prime minister's directive earlier this week to our foreign missions to be more watchful over our overseas workers and more helpful to them. It seems to us that it is in our foreign missions that the culture of service she hopes to develop is most urgently needed.
That said, it must be acknowledged that part of the problem in our overseas missions is a lack of manpower and resources. For instance, there are 2.2 million Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia alone: there are two labour attaches to serve their needs. In fairness, the problem is not one of attitude alone.
What is needed is a whole new approach, both on the part of the government officials and on the part of the government to push through the needed reforms.
The attitude of the staff at missions must be overhauled entirely. They need to be pro-active and hands-on, and sensitive to the needs of the Bangladeshi citizens they are charged with watching over. Let's face it: there is a bureaucratic mind-set that keeps them from reaching out -- and that needs to change.
What the government can do to help instill this kind of dedication is to provide the resources necessary. Indeed, each embassy in countries with a sizable migrant worker population requires a special wing dedicated to their needs and staffed by personnel with specialised training and sufficient resources at their disposal to do the job right.
Indeed, not only is this the right thing to do morally in terms of the government's responsibility to every Bangladeshi citizen, but such an approach will pay great dividends to the economy as well, as it will undoubtedly translate into greater remittance earnings.
In short, the commitment needs to be made from both ends. Bangladesh overseas mission staff must strive to be more service-oriented, but the government also has the responsibility to give them the resources and support they need to effect the needed changes.
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