Build public trust through better services: Ctg DC

Chattogram Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mian has stressed the need for public officials to build citizens’ trust by ensuring easy, fast and harassment-free services.

He made the remarks on Tuesday while addressing a district-level half-yearly coordination meeting on Village Court activities at the PTI Conference Hall in the Chattogram city. The district administration organised the meeting under the Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh (Phase III) project of the Local Government Division.

The DC said public expectations could only be fulfilled when government services create a positive impact on people’s daily lives. He urged officials to focus not only on plans and statistics but also on whether their work was bringing real change. “Officials have responsibilities not only to the state but also to society. Everyone should work to create positive change in their respective areas,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of Village Courts, Zahidul Islam said the system could play a vital role in strengthening public confidence in government services and local justice. He noted that around five million cases are pending in courts across the country, causing delays in justice delivery. “If minor disputes can be resolved quickly at the local level, pressure on the formal judiciary will decrease and people will get justice faster,” he added.

The DC also mentioned that many complaints raised during the district administration’s weekly public hearings could have been solved locally through more effective service delivery.

The meeting, chaired by Local Government Division Deputy Director (Deputy Secretary) Golam Mohammad Moinuddin, was attended by upazila nirbahi officers, assistant commissioners (land), union administrative officers from 191 unions, and other officials.

Participants reviewed Village Court activities across the district and discussed ways to increase public awareness, improve record-keeping and make the system more effective at the grassroots level.