<div style="text-align: justify; "><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the public representatives of the local government bodies to work with utmost sincerity for the welfare of the people.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Don't lose public trust and confidence in any way. So, work for the people accordingly standing by them,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The premier was addressing the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected mayors of two city corporations – Cumilla and Mymensingh— and chairmen of five Zila Parishads, and councillors of Mymensingh City Corporation here in Shapla Hall of her office in the morning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said her government made development of every area in the country and the grassroots people are in the focus of the development works.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Every village would be transformed into a township. A radical change has already been there, which you can see,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister asked the public representatives to work for the continuation of the current development trend by keeping the promises they made to the people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She cited that Bangladesh would finally be graduated as a developing country in 2026.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“In this context, I'm urging you to stand beside the people with sincerity, serve them and work for them in a bid to continue the current trend of socio-economic development,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, she administered oaths to the first female mayor-elect of Cumilla city corporation Tahsin Bahar Suchona and mayor-elect of Mymensingh City Corporation Ekramul Haque Titu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The PM also administered oaths to the newly elected chairmen of five Zila Parishads -- Kurigram, Thakurgaon, Sirajganj, Brahmanbaria and Habiganj – in the same function.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The five chairman of Zila Parishads are ANM Obaidur Rahman of Kurigram, Abdul Majid of Thakurgaon, Shamim Talukder of Sirajganj, Billal Miah of Brahmanbaria and Aleya Akhter of Habiganj.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Later, some 44 newly elected councillors of general wards and female councillors of the reserved seats of Mymensingh City Corporation also took oath at the same venue.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam administered the oath of the councillors.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Local Government Division Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim conducted the oath-taking ceremony.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cumilla City Corporation has got the first female mayor as Tahsin Bahar Suchona, daughter of Cumilla-6 MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar, won the by-election to the city corporation on March 9 last.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ekramul Haque Titu was elected the mayor in the Mymensingh city corporation election held on the same day. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/fas</div>