Md. Mukhlesur Rahman: Not every government reform requires new legislation, large budgets, or sweeping institutional restructuring. Sometimes, meaningful change begins with questioning everyday practices that have become so routine they escape scrutiny.One such practice in Bangladesh is the elaborate culture of welcoming and bidding farewell to senior officials with flower bouquets, lengthy ceremonies, speeches, photo sessions, banners, and social media publicity. Although these rituals are widely accepted as gestures of courtesy and respect, they also consume something far more valuable than flowers or refreshments: time.In modern governance, time is not merely a scheduling issue; it is a public resource. Every hour spent on unnecessary formalities is an hour not spent delivering public services, processing applications, implementing development projects, resolving citizens’ problems, or making decisions that affect economic activity. For a country striving to become a high-income economy, the efficient use of every working hour should be regarded as a national priority.No one disputes the importance of professional courtesy. Every institution should foster respect among colleagues and acknowledge leadership with dignity. But respect should never come at the expense of productivity. When an entire office suspends its normal work to participate in ceremonial events, the hidden costs extend well beyond the conference room. Files remain unattended, meetings are postponed, public services slow down, and citizens—whose taxes finance the public administration—ultimately pay the price.The issue is not the flower bouquet itself. It is what the bouquet has come to represent.Over time, ceremonial receptions have evolved into highly visible institutional rituals. In many offices, newly appointed officials are welcomed through carefully choreographed events involving multiple bouquets, speeches, photographs, and extensive online promotion. Similar arrangements accompany transfers, promotions, retirements, birthdays, inspections, and official visits. These occasions often occupy substantial portions of the working day, engaging employees whose expertise would be better directed toward serving the public.There is another, less visible consequence. Such ceremonies may unintentionally reinforce a culture where symbolism receives greater attention than performance. Recognition risks becoming associated with hierarchy rather than achievement, visibility rather than effectiveness, and personal loyalty rather than institutional excellence. Healthy public institutions should reward competence, integrity, innovation, and measurable results—not ceremonial displays.The financial implications, although individually modest, are also worth considering. Expenses associated with receptions are frequently covered through departmental operating funds, employee welfare funds, or informal staff contributions. Across thousands of offices throughout the country, these small expenditures accumulate into a broader culture of avoidable public spending. At a time when fiscal discipline is increasingly important, even seemingly minor inefficiencies deserve attention.Around the world, many of the most effective public administrations have deliberately simplified workplace ceremonies. Newly appointed officials are introduced through brief orientation sessions, concise meetings, or simple handshakes before immediately turning their attention to institutional priorities. Leadership is measured not by ceremonial reception but by the ability to improve services, strengthen accountability, and deliver results.The private sector has moved even further in this direction. Lean management, results-based management, and performance-driven organizational cultures all recognize a simple truth: productivity improves when unnecessary processes are reduced. Governments should be no exception.Bangladesh has made remarkable progress over the past decades in expanding infrastructure, digitizing public services, strengthening macroeconomic management, and improving administrative capacity. The next phase of reform should focus equally on organizational culture. Modern governance depends as much on institutional habits as it does on legislation.The solution is neither complicated nor controversial. Government institutions could adopt clear administrative guidelines limiting ceremonial events to brief and simple occasions. Welcome and farewell programs need not exceed ten or fifteen minutes. Instead of costly flower bouquets, institutions could present books, tree saplings, or modest organizational mementos that better reflect public values, environmental responsibility, and knowledge.More importantly, institutions should redefine how they celebrate success. Rather than sharing photographs of ceremonial receptions, they should highlight improvements in service delivery, innovations in governance, reductions in processing times, successful policy implementation, and achievements that directly improve citizens’ lives. These are the accomplishments that deserve public recognition.Ultimately, the purpose of public administration is not to celebrate officials but to serve citizens. Public office is a responsibility, not a ceremony. The respect earned by a public servant should be measured by honesty, competence, professionalism, and dedication—not by the number of bouquets presented at the office entrance.Bangladesh’s aspiration to build a modern, accountable, and citizen-centred state will not be achieved through grand reforms alone. It will also depend on the willingness to reconsider everyday practices that no longer serve the public interest.Reducing unnecessary ceremonial culture will not diminish dignity or respect. On the contrary, it will send a powerful message that professionalism matters more than appearances, that service is valued above symbolism, and that every working hour belongs to the people.In a modern democracy, the finest tribute to a public official is not a bouquet of flowers. It is a public institution that serves its citizens efficiently, transparently, and with unwavering commitment.(The writer is an Economist, Public policy thinker and human rights activist)