Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said his government was working to make Dhaka and the rest of the country cleaner, healthier and less polluted, with the aim of transforming the capital into a city as clean as Tokyo.
“We are trying to make Dhaka and the entire country clean. Initiatives are being taken to reduce air pollution, improve the environment and plant trees in different places,” he said.
The Prime Minister made the remarks while exchanging views with expatriate Bangladeshis at Hotel New Otani in Tokyo. The programme was organised by the Bangladesh Community, an organisation of Bangladeshis living in Japan. Referring to Tokyo’s clean streets, Tarique Rahman said waste was rarely seen on the city’s roads, unlike in Dhaka, where rubbish often accumulated in different areas. He stressed that proper waste management and a clean environment were essential to protecting public health, as accumulated waste could spread germs and cause illness.
“If we can make Dhaka as clean as Tokyo, as Japan, that will be a major reform for the people,” he said.
The Prime Minister said his government’s reform agenda focused on improving the living standards of marginalised and working-class people through better education, healthcare and environmental protection. He said the benefits of government initiatives should reach people from all walks of life, including rickshaw pullers, auto-rickshaw drivers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, employees and businesspeople.
Explaining his approach to reform, Tarique Rahman said he prioritised initiatives that would directly improve the lives of ordinary citizens rather than changes whose benefits were limited to a small group. He called for cooperation from democratic-minded people to implement the government's plans and build the Bangladesh they aspired to. He also alleged that attempts were being made to obstruct reforms intended to benefit ordinary people.
Addressing expatriate Bangladeshis, he said the initiatives would also benefit their families back home and urged them to support the government's efforts.
“I am not asking you to vote for us. If you think these initiatives are right, then support the work so that we can implement them,” he said.
Education, Investment and Employment
During the programme, the Prime Minister also answered questions about plans to help Bangladeshi children learn Japanese, develop skills in healthcare and sports, simplify business procedures, reopen closed industrial units, attract investment and create employment opportunities.
He reiterated that reforms in education, healthcare, the environment and other sectors were aimed at improving people's quality of life. He emphasised that hard work, patience and unity would be necessary to achieve these goals and sought the cooperation and prayers of expatriate Bangladeshis for the country's development.
Tarique Rahman also commented on social media criticism and satire involving Aam Janata Party Member Secretary Md Tarek Rahman, observing that wider national problems often received less attention.
The programme was moderated by BNP Executive Committee member Abdus Sattar Patwary. Prime Minister's wife Dr Zubaida Rahman also attended. Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Invest Bangladesh Authority Chairman Ashik Chowdhury and other members of the Prime Minister's delegation were present. The Japan unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) presented photographs to Tarique Rahman and Dr Zubaida Rahman at the event.
