Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam has announced that qualified and capable unemployed individuals from the Telugu and Kanpur communities will be prioritized for employment in the cleaning operations of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). Alongside this, he assured the swift implementation of constructing 17 residential buildings for cleaners by bringing the matter directly to the Prime Minister's attention. The State Minister made these remarks on Monday during a special event organized at the cleaners' residential quarters in Dayaganj, Dhaka.
The event was organized by DSCC to distribute the Prime Minister's greetings gifts and financial assistance among the Hindu cleaners of the Telugu and Kanpur communities on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja. Speaking as the chief guest, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam clearly stated that the primary identity of the people belonging to the Telugu and Kanpur communities is that they are proud Bangladeshi citizens. They must not be socially underestimated or deprived of any state facilities due to their occupational identity as sanitation workers.
Highlighting that the current government does not believe in any form of ethnic or social discrimination, Mir Shahe Alam further added that the administration is guided by the ideals of equal rights for all citizens championed by martyred President Ziaur Rahman. He noted that in the past, no minister or high-ranking official would visit the cleaners' quarters to listen to their grievances directly, and the current government is determined to change that historical gap. The government and city corporation aim to ensure social benefits and festival joys for cleaners, building a soulful connection with them.
The State Minister mentioned that he rushed to the cleaners' quarters immediately upon the special directives of the Prime Minister. Despite his busy schedule earlier in the day, including the inauguration of the 'July Memorial Monument' at Osmani Uddin, standing beside the marginalized community during the Durga Puja festival was treated as a top priority. Attendees and community representatives expressed profound satisfaction and gratitude towards the government for this unprecedented announcement, hoping it would permanently resolve their long-standing housing crisis.
At the conclusion of the event, the Prime Minister's festive gifts and financial aid were handed over to the sanitation workers of the Telugu and Kanpur communities. High-ranking officials of the city corporation and local government representatives were present on the occasion. The government believes such welfare-oriented initiatives will significantly accelerate the integration of underprivileged communities into the mainstream society.
