Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the new members of Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) to work as public servants and stay away from corruption.

“Don't indulge in corruption and let others indulge in corruption. You must discharge your duties with honesty as public servants because all of your salaries and allowances come from the hard-earned money of the common people,” she said.

The PM was addressing a programme to distribute certificates among the participants of the 60th Foundation Training Course of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) at the city's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

Hasina directed the new officials to make sure there is no sluggishness in their activities due to bureaucratic tangles. “Discharge your duties with utmost patriotism...you must love and know the country and its people. You can't neglect the common people...you must ensure they always get the desired services.”

Putting emphasis on maintaining rule of law by the public servants, she said there would be no development without the rule of law and stability.

Whenever there is a military ruler in any country, he only speaks against corruption, but adopts it as his policy, the premier mentioned. “It also happened in Bangladesh for which the country could not move ahead after 1975 [assassination of the Father of the Nation].”

She suggested the officials of various BCS cadres to maintain high standard in implementing development projects and ensure better outcome for the targeted beneficiaries.

Quoting some lines from the speech delivered by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before public servants at the Gono Bhaban on February 1, 1972, Hasina said the new officials would have to perceive the essence of his speech and devote themselves to public service, keeping the national interest above everything else.

Only raising strong voice against corruption would not work as there is a need to take proper steps to curb the menace, she added.

Some 113 secretaries, 609 additional secretaries, 1,411 joint secretaries and 1,434 deputy secretaries have been promoted since 2009, the PM told her audience.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam and State Minister for Public Administration Ismat Ara Sadique also spoke, among others.

Earlier, the PM handed out medals and certificates to some 40 best performing participants.

Under the programme, the BPATC and nine other organisations provided six-month training to some 728 BCS officials.