Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday urged public administration officials to move beyond a bureaucratic mindset and serve as "servants and friends of people," emphasizing that their integrity, efficiency and accountability are fundamental to the government’s success.

Speaking to officials following the inauguration of the new Training-cum-Dormitory Building of the BIAM Foundation in Dhaka, the Prime Minister stated, “You are the link between making policies and putting them into action. Your honesty, competence and accountability form one of the key foundations of the government’s success.”

Highlighting the necessity of modernizing governance, the Prime Minister noted that the world has entered the era of artificial intelligence and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, making it essential for the civil service to keep pace with technological shifts.

“The use of AI, automation and digital technologies can make our administration more efficient, transparent and accountable,” Tarique said, adding that the government aims to deliver public services directly to citizens’ doorsteps through information technology.

He assured continued support to strengthen the BIAM Foundation to build a future-ready civil service and stressed the importance of simplifying business processes through initiatives like single-window clearance, one-stop services and fully digital workflows.

Regarding the national development vision, the Prime Minister said, “Our development vision must be inclusive, sustainable and humane. We want to build a Bangladesh where the benefits of development gradually reach every level of society, inequality declines, and eventually disappears.”

He identified women and youth as key drivers of growth and insisted that environmental protection and climate resilience must be integral to all policies.

Earlier in the day, he laid the foundation stone for the third building of the BIAM Foundation in Eskaton before addressing the auditorium, where he remarked that "modern administrative competence is not just about knowing rules—it also requires the use of technology, data analysis, quick decision-making and a creative approach to public service."

The Prime Minister reiterated the government's commitment to fulfilling its electoral pledges, describing them as a contract with the people rather than mere political promises.

“The government is determined to implement every commitment of its manifesto and the July Charter in letter and spirit,” he said, urging officials to contribute their merit and professionalism.

He noted that civil servants are vital for the continuity and stability of the state machinery and must uphold ethical practices to maintain public trust.

"The current government is committed to developing merit-based, confident, creative and responsible human resources. There is no alternative to building a merit-driven, transparent, efficient and people-friendly public administration,” he added.

Reflecting on the political landscape, Tarique Rahman mentioned that after more than one and a half decades, the people had directly elected a democratic government.

He stated that the current administration reflects the aspirations of citizens yearning for an accountable and just system, noting that the mass uprising of July-August 2024 reaffirmed that the people are the true owners of the state.

"So, as public servants, your foremost responsibility is to protect the interests and ensure the welfare of people, who are the rightful owners of the state… Your decisions can affect a family, a region, or even the entire nation. That is why your responsibilities are not only administrative but also deeply moral and constitutional,” he told the officials.

To support this, he confirmed that steps have been taken to fill vacant posts swiftly, strengthen the Public Service Commission, and implement administrative reforms.

BIAM, founded in 1991 and transformed into a foundation in 2002, expects the new facility to significantly boost its training and residential capacity.