PM assures of actions against culprits after probe

Govt introduces software to ensure timely execution of ADP projects, she tells JS

FE REPORT | Published: June 06, 2024 00:10:26

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government would take actions against those responsible for failure to timely send over 17,000 Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia.
"This issue is being investigated and if anybody is found responsible for this, he or she will face the music," she told the House in response to a question raised by Jatiya Party lawmaker Mujibul Huq Chunnu during the PM's question-answer session.
Chunnu pointed out that only Bangladesh out of the 14 countries that were allowed to send workers to Malaysia by May 31 has failed to send all the workers who got work permits.
"The dream of over 17,000 Bangladeshis is shattered," he noted, asking the PM whether the government would take any action against those responsible for this disaster.
Replying to the question, the Prime Minister mentioned that the government arranged special flights to ensure that all the visa holders would be able to reach Malaysia in time.
However, the situation got complicated when a section of businessmen were involved in the process, and the issue is being investigated, she added.
She also observed that many people have a tendency to scramble for going abroad and in the process they become the victims of the illegal manpower brokers.
"They often sell their lands and assets to get overseas jobs," the PM pointed out, adding that such desperation brings trouble for them.
In this connection she mentioned that the government has set up a specialised bank for the welfare of the people who seek jobs abroad. If they have guaranteed jobs, they can easily get a loan from this bank. However, some people do not avail this opportunity, she lamented.
Responding to another question, Sheikh Hasina said her government has introduced 'Project processing, appraisal and management system (PPS)' software to ensure timely implementation of the projects under the annual development programme (ADP).
Failure in timely implementation of the ADP projects hampers socio-economic development, she said, stating that delays cause additional expenditure and extension of the project tenure.
She said the concerned departments were directed to allocate additional funds for those delayed projects, which can be completed within a short time.
She also mentioned that her government has a policy to take up only those projects that would be beneficial for the people.
"A lot of funding proposals are being received by the government, but we are very choosy regarding these proposals as we conduct detailed scrutiny to assess whether these projects will benefit the country," she added.
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