After two years, the much awaited annual conference of Deputy Commissioners (DC) is starting from today, Tuesday.
After the cabinet meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam told reporters at the Secretariat that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would inaugurate the conference as the chief guest.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the regular cabinet meeting held at the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad.
The cabinet secretary said the conference had already been reduced from five days to three days due to the new wave of Covid-19 and would be held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium instead of the meeting room of the cabinet division.
He said 15 ministers and secretaries from only 15 ministries have been invited at the inaugural session.
Also, DCs have been asked to test the RTPR with their gunmen, driver and companions before attending the conference, he added.
Khandaker Anwarul Islam said that so far two Divisional Commissioners and five DCs have tested positive of Covid-19 .
They are Divisional Commissioners of Rajshahi and Barisal and DCs of Cox's Bazar, Rajshahi, Patuakhali, Laxmipur and Chuadanga.
Asked about the use of virtual platforms against the backdrop of a new wave of coronaviruses, he said they had moved the conference venue to the Osmani Memorial Auditorium considering Covid-19 and would allow only 64 people to attend, despite a capacity of 700.
He added that many ministries have been given different places in this conference.
The cabinet secretary said that President Abdul Hamid will give a virtual speech this evening and on Wednesday the speaker of the parliament Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and the Chief Justice are scheduled to give a virtual speech.
Covid-19, Land Management, Law Enforcement, Strengthening Local Government Activities, Disaster Management, Poverty Reduction and Employment at Local Levels, Social Security Diversion Activities, ICT and E-Governance, Education, Health, Environment, Physical Infrastructure and Conference Development Will be given.
It is to be noted that the last Deputy Commissioner Conference was held for a total of 5 days from 14 to 18 July 2019. Since then, due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the last two years (2020 and 2021) did not have a deputy commissioner conference. The DC Conference is usually held in July every year to provide face-to-face exchange of views and necessary directions between government policy makers and deputy commissioners.