Tarique Rahman had a productive first day as prime minister, engaging in meetings with ministers and top officials where he emphasized the importance of working together effectively to achieve the government’s objectives without succumbing to external influences or favoritism.
During separate sessions with the council of ministers and secretaries, Tarique outlined immediate priorities such as ensuring law and order, combating corruption, stabilizing prices of essential goods, and guaranteeing uninterrupted power supply during Ramadan. He introduced a 180-day action plan in the ministerial meeting, detailing sector-specific goals, timelines, and accountabilities to drive progress.
Departing from tradition, the meetings took place at the Secretariat rather than the Prime Minister’s Office. Tarique commenced his day by paying respects at the National Memorial in Savar to honor war martyrs, followed by a visit to the resting places of his late father, Ziaur Rahman, and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at Zia Udyan before heading to the Secretariat.
Opting to use his personal vehicle, driver, and fuel instead of a government-provided car, Tarique has opted to maintain this practice and reduce the size of his motorcade to alleviate traffic congestion. During the cabinet meeting, he urged ministers to present detailed action plans for their respective ministries to guide future actions based on his directives, emphasizing a firm stance against corruption and the importance of price stability during Ramadan.
Market monitoring to prevent price surges of essential items was highlighted as a critical task to build public trust early on. Tarique underscored the public’s expectation of good governance and accountability, emphasizing the need for maintaining law and order to establish stability and security swiftly. Prioritized issues from the government’s 180-day plan, including education, law enforcement, women’s empowerment, job creation, environmental conservation, technology-driven progress, and debt management, were discussed, with ministers instructed to devise comprehensive implementation strategies.
In a brief meeting with secretaries post-cabinet session, Tarique assured them that personal affiliations or backgrounds would not influence official decisions and sought their cooperation in fulfilling the government’s promises. Amid a celebratory atmosphere at the Secretariat, ministers and state officials were greeted with flowers, exchanging pleasantries with staff. To reduce traffic disruptions, future cabinet meetings will be held at the Secretariat, and roadside police deployments during the prime minister’s movements in the capital will be halted as per Tarique’s instructions.
