Local Government Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has stressed strengthening the judiciary, the administration and other constitutional institutions to make democracy durable and effective. He said Bangladesh had reached a new reality after a long political struggle, and democratic institutions must now be built to be more effective and independent.
He made the remarks as chief guest at a reception hosted by the Thakurgaon District Bar Association on Sunday (2 August) afternoon.
Mirza Fakhrul said the country’s democracy would stand on a firmer footing if an independent judiciary, an efficient administration and effective parliamentary committees could be established. Political differences and various challenges are part of democratic development, he said, but the system survives when institutions remain strong.
Citing the example of neighbouring India, he said the institutional strength of the judiciary, the administration and the media had helped keep democracy alive there despite various crises. He also stressed building neutral and accountable institutions in Bangladesh.
Highlighting the importance of the rule of law and justice, the minister said the two were essential to moving a society forward. Although the country had faced various limitations in this area in the past, the present government is committed to establishing justice and the rule of law, he said.
Calling on young people to stay away from drugs, Mirza Fakhrul said narcotics had become a major social crisis not only for Thakurgaon but for the whole country. Families, society and the administration must work together to tackle the problem, he said.
Referring to development plans for Thakurgaon, he said steps were being taken to set up agriculture-based industries to boost employment. The local economy had suffered because of the long-idle sugar mill, he said, so new job opportunities would be created through alternative industrialisation.
He also said a university had been approved for Thakurgaon, with its vice-chancellor appointed and land finalised. Academic activities of a new medical college are planned to begin next year at a temporary campus. A master plan has also been taken up to ensure the town’s planned development, along with the construction of a ring road to ease traffic congestion.
Earlier the same day, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inaugurated the “Free Eye Camp 2026”, organised jointly by Bangladesh and Nepal on the initiative of the Thakurgaon Diabetic Association.
At the event, held under the theme “Sight for all, care for every eye”, he said the friendly relationship between Bangladesh and Nepal would grow stronger in the future and that cooperation between the two countries would play an important role in public welfare.
He expressed hope that the free eye camp would give poor people in border and remote areas access to improved medical care.
The event was chaired by Thakurgaon Diabetic Association President Dr Abu Md Khairul Kabir. Nepal’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Bangladesh Prateek Karki, NNJS Chairman Professor Dr Chet Raj Pant and Biratnagar Eye Hospital Chairman Padma Narayan Chaudhary spoke as special guests.
Hundreds of people received free eye examinations, medical advice, necessary medicines and diagnostic services at the day-long camp.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report