Ms. Dilshad Dossani, Chairperson of the Aga Khan Foundation (Bangladesh)’s National Committee, remarked that “the Aga Khan Foundation has an interest in the notion of public service as defined in its broadest sense of ‘a service rendered in the public interest for the benefit of others’.” Ms. Dossani further stated that “this definition is not limited to those who work in government services, but encompasses all individuals, civil society and organizations that work for the benefit of the people of Bangladesh.”

Mr. M. Syeduzzaman, former Finance Minister, recounted his personal journey as a public servant in his keynote address. “Everything a public servant should be, Mr. Syeduzzaman has been,” remarked Dr. Gowher Rizvi, the Honorable International Advisor to the Prime Minister.

A panel discussion was held featuring Dr. Rizvi, Mr. Syeduzzaman and Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman. In his introductory remarks, Dr. Rizvi said that while the phrase ‘public servant’ or ‘bureaucrat’ often has negative connotations associated with it, it is important to recognize that “public servants have solved some of the most fundamental problems in our lives.”

The panel agreed that, within public service broadly defined, the concept of ‘public ethics’ -- or the notion of trying to do something better for society and to create a more humane world -- is important and needs to be revived and strengthened. The panellists also agreed that the quality of institutions that groom public servants, including the education system as a whole, play a critical role and can bring in all the available wisdom within society to help public servants understand their role and motivate them to serve for the betterment of their societies.