Elected govt’s main duty is to serve people: LGRD minister

Serving the people is the main responsibility of an elected government, said Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan.

He said elected representatives and government officials must work responsibly to fulfil the expectations of people who vote for the government.

The minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a discussion marking National Birth and Death Registration Day 2026 at the Grand Ballroom of Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka on Tuesday.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam was present at the event.

Moin Khan said elected representatives have a responsibility to ensure that people’s needs are properly addressed. If any local government representative fails to perform their duties, the responsibility ultimately falls on the government.

Highlighting the difference between government officials and elected representatives, he said government employees can continue in their jobs for around 35 to 40 years, while elected representatives have a five-year term.

“After five years, elected representatives have to face the people again and seek re-election by showing what they have done,” he said, adding that this makes their responsibilities and accountability greater.

Referring to the difficulties faced by people in rural areas, the minister said many ordinary and less-educated people have to visit union parishad offices repeatedly to obtain a birth certificate.

“This situation must change. We are a government elected by the people, so ensuring their convenience and addressing their difficulties should be our main goal,” he said.

He said discussions would be held with the relevant officials to ensure that birth and death registration services operate smoothly and without interruption.

The minister also expressed his determination to take strict measures in this regard in the future.

He said the common objective of government officials and elected representatives is to serve the people.

“Although their methods are different, both should have the same goal of fulfilling their responsibilities towards the people,” he said.

People have high expectations from an elected government, he said, urging all concerned to work responsibly to meet those expectations.

“The power vested in the government must be used to serve the people, not to obstruct their services. State power should be exercised to meet people’s needs and ensure their rights,” he said.

Regarding birth and death registration, the minister said the programme is highly important for the national administration.

He, however, said there is a significant discrepancy between the country’s actual population and the information in the registration database.

“It is concerning that the registration database contains information on many more people than the country’s population of around 19 crore,” he said, stressing the need to remove such discrepancies and make the registration system accurate and reliable.

The minister said technology alone cannot ensure services to people.

“Those responsible for operating the technology must also be responsible. No citizen should have to visit a union parishad office repeatedly to obtain a simple birth certificate,” he said.

Speaking as a special guest, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said former president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia had contributed to several important initiatives taken in Bangladesh.

The event was chaired by Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hasan.

ICT Division Secretary Md Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan, Cabinet Division Secretary (Coordination and Reform) Farah Shammi, Head of Development Cooperation at the European Union Delegation in Dhaka Dr Michal Krejza, UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Gillian Moyes, among others, were present.