Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited 13 hospitals, educational institutions, government residential quarters and public spaces across Dhaka in a surprise inspection drive lasting four and a half hours on Saturday, flagging sanitation and management lapses and setting deadlines for corrective action
Staff Reporter:Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited 13 locations across Dhaka in just four and a half hours on Saturday, inspecting hospitals, educational institutions, government residential quarters and a hawker-free footpath as part of an unannounced assessment of public services and urban management.
The prime minister began the inspection at 9:10am and continued until 1:41pm, observing cleanliness, service standards and overall management while speaking with officials and other people at the locations.
He first visited Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital in Uttara, followed by Rajuk Uttara Model College and Mirpur Cantonment Public School and College.
He then inspected the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh in Mirpur, Paikpara Staff Quarters and Government Bangla College.
The prime minister subsequently visited Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital in Agargaon.
He also went to his former educational institution, Dhaka Residential Model College, where he addressed students and urged them to help build a cleaner Bangladesh and plant more trees.
The inspection drive also included Dhanmondi Government Boys' High School, Kalabagan Staff Quarters and Azimpur Government Officers' and Employees' Residential Quarters. He also visited the hawker-free footpath at Mirpur-10, where Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton was present.
During the visits, the prime minister expressed dissatisfaction with unhygienic conditions and shortcomings in management at several locations.
He gave the authorities concerned two weeks to improve cleanliness at the Azimpur government residential quarters. Earlier, during his visit to Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital, he had given the authorities seven days to improve the hospital's environment and sanitation.
At Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, the prime minister reportedly found Associate Professor Dr Rafiqul Islam smoking in his office, which was also in an unclean condition. He immediately instructed the hospital chairman to take action against the physician.
Following the prime minister's directive, Dr Rafiqul Islam was suspended temporarily.
Throughout the surprise inspection drive, Tarique Rahman spoke with officials, students and members of the public, stressing the need for responsible conduct by the authorities to ensure better public services, cleanliness and public health.
The visits appeared aimed at assessing conditions on the ground and pressing the relevant institutions to address shortcomings in service delivery and maintenance.