Dhaka:The parliamentary standing committee on the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry has recommended projects to provide safe drinking water in arsenic-affected areas and to secure three-year warranty deposits from contractors to improve the quality and durability of rural roads. This recommendation was made during the committee's first meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, chaired by A.K.M. Selim Reza Habib, MP.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the committee also advised strengthening the supervision of road construction, enhancing cleanliness drives to control Aedes mosquitoes and prevent dengue, and implementing online attendance systems at the upazila level. An investigation into alleged irregularities and corruption in projects undertaken during the previous government was also suggested.
The committee emphasized transparency, accountability, and quality in the development activities managed by the ministry and its subordinate departments. It suggested identifying arsenic-contaminated areas and taking effective measures to ensure safe drinking water for affected communities. The prime minister's directives were cited in recommending security deposits from contractors as a warranty for rural road construction to ensure quality and accountability.
To combat dengue and control Aedes mosquitoes, the committee recommended measures to increase public awareness and supervise cleanliness efforts through upazila nirbahi officers. They also stressed the need for officials to perform their duties with honesty and dedication, without nepotism, and proposed an online attendance system for upazila levels.
Additionally, the committee called for appropriate steps to investigate alleged corruption in unnecessary projects funded by domestic and foreign sources during the previous administration. The meeting included tributes to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, former BNP chairperson and Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and martyrs of the Liberation War. Sympathy was expressed for those affected by the July 2024 mass uprising.
A presentation on the ministry's activities and those of its subordinate organizations was also given. The meeting was attended by committee members, LGRD Minister Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, and other officials.