Challenges Prevailing in Bangladesh Civil Service: A Brief Analysis

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Introduction
On a global scale, it is widely recognized that public administration, as the highest legitimate institution, plays a vital role in a nation's socioeconomic progress.It is a fundamental principle that a country's level of development is directly linked to the effectiveness of its public administrative framework.In order to ensure effective governance within a nation, the civil service holds a crucial position in shaping and executing policies that align with the needs of the country's populace.Bangladesh, a relatively new and typical developing nation in South Asia characterized by a large population, low per capita income, a persistent trade deficit, and an economy heavily reliant on agriculture, has increasingly transitioned towards a market-oriented economy since the mid-1970s, primarily due to the assistance received through structural adjustment programs from entities like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and other donor nations.Despite this foreign aid, the challenge of inadequate governance persists.The combination of internal and external pressures, including political influences, public demands, and conditions imposed by donor countries, has gradually pushed for the advancement of good governance and sustainable development.Although it is mentioned in Ahmed, S. & al (2023) that, "Despite obstacles, the government of Bangladesh has made significant efforts in recent years to encourage and influence public employees, notably BCS (administration) cadre officers, to increase their efficiency and activity in service delivery to the public".However, to position Bangladesh as a globally competitive nation, there is still an urgent need to expedite the shift towards improved governance practices.And to strengthen the good governance there is no alternative to a strong and effective civil administration in the country.As cited in Jahan, M. ( 2012) "Bangladesh needs a civil service of high quality and integrity for mobilizing and utilizing its domestic resources (Kim and Monem, 2008:2)".The development of private sector can also be benefitted by the experienced civil servants, as mentioned in the review of an autobiography book, 'Recollection of a Civil Servant-Turned to a Banker' by Md.Matiul Islam."After transitioning to the private sector, Mr. Islam spent the last 25 years creating four separate institutions, three of which were non-banking financial institutions and a fourth one was credit agency.Earlier, he pioneered the setting up of the first commercial bank in the private sector with Dubai Bank as the majority partner.These finance companies were integral in the creation and development of reliable industrial and infrastructure investment opportunities in Bangladesh (Islam, M. M. 2019).

The Study Objectives
The main objective of the article is to address some major problems and challenges experienced by Bangladeshi Civil Servants.The goals include: 1) Identifying the key barriers currently prevailing in the Bangladesh Civil Service, and 2) Prescribing some recommendations that may help ensure quality public services in the country.

Methodology of This Study
The paper is based on secondary as well as primary data/information gathered from a variety of journals, periodicals, books, reports, autobiography, and government documents, among other sources, according to the requirements of the content analysis on which the paper is based.The collected data are examined in the light of the researchers' knowledge and perceptions gained from years of institutional involvement in related fields.

Definition Clause
It is absolutely necessary to understand a few terms used in the paper in order to comprehend the assignment's problem more effectively.With the goal of ensuring that the terms are clearly understood, the concepts of civil service, civil servant, public administration, and bureaucracy have been explained in this section.

Civil Service
The term 'Civil service' denotes the perpetual skillful officials of the state administration, excepting military and judicial wings, and elected politicians.

Civil Servant
A civil servant, also known as a public servant, is a person employed by the government and working in the public sector for a department or organization that manages projects for the public sector.Governments, not political parties, are the employers of civil servants who work for both the federal and state governments.

Public Administration
Putting government policies into practice through public administration.In today's society, public administration is frequently seen as having some responsibility for deciding on the policies and programs of governments.Planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling government operations is more specifically what this term refers to.
All countries, regardless of their form of government, have public administration.At the national, regional, and local levels, public administration is practiced.Indeed, a growing issue in public administration is the interactions between various levels of government within a single country (Chapman & et al., 2023).
Woodrow Wilson was the principal champion for the idea of public administration.Wilson wanted to demonstrate that administrators ought to be obedient to political will.In the words of Wilson (1941) quoted in Kapoor (1986), "Public administration is the thorough and methodical implementation of the law.Each unique way a law is applied is an act of administration.The authors Dimock and Dimock (1975) claim "Administration is focused on the "What" and "How" of governance.
After World War II, the idea of public administration as a separate discipline began to take shape.Public administration is characterized by interdisciplinarity which contribute to understanding and addressing the challenges faced by public administrators in managing and implementing public policies and programs.This interdisciplinary nature of public administration enables administrators to apply diverse perspectives and approaches to improve public services.This is significant because the majority of concepts related to management have been covered.
In essence, the three main responsibilities of public administration are to: The primary responsibility of public administration is to carry out political objectives (Biswas & Rahman, 2018).

Bureaucracy
The definition of bureaucracy in its original sense, "rule by desks or offices," emphasizes how impersonal bureaucracies are frequently.
Governmental institutions, sizable businesses, and the military are a few examples of bureaucracy.There are written rules and regulations, a formalized decision-making process, and a hierarchical organizational structure in each of these organizations.
Max Weber, a social scientist from Germany, is credited with popularizing the idea of bureaucracy, which implies a model of extensive organization that is legal, logical, and normative.It has emerged as a recurring issue in the social science research world as having a significant influence on how modern human civilization is shaped.The most effective form of government today, outside of underdeveloped nations worldwide, is bureaucracy (Biswas & Rahman, 2018).

Good Governance
'Good governance' refers to the kinds of governmental processes in which significant decisions are made by interested parties using a participatory approach to support the opinions of the civil society, have accountability and transparency, and apply the rule of law in all governmental actions.The various facets, components, expectations, and effects of good governance are covered in this essay.

Constitutional Structure of the Government of Bangladesh
Parliamentary democracy is on run in Bangladesh.The People's Republic of Bangladesh's top legislative and executive body is the Cabinet.The Prime Minister, approximately 31 Cabinet Ministers, 17 State Ministers, and 2 Deputy Ministers make up the Cabinet, which is the overall decision-making body of the government under the Office of the Prime Minister.Usually the "political head" of a ministry, a minister, oversees it.There must be one division in every ministry.The ministry's "administrative head" is a secretary or, in his absence, a substitute secretary.As per the Constitution of Bangladesh, there are three main organs of the state; Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.Articles 48 to 58 of the constitution provides the basis for Executive branch, whereas Articles 65 to 93 deals with the legislature, and Articles 94 to 116 provides details of the judiciary (Sarker et al., 2017).

Brief History of Civil Service in Bangladesh
In this region of the world, the civil bureaucracy is a legacy of colonialism.Through the Indian Civil Service (ICS), which had a majority of British officers, the British used to rule the native population.The Indians began competing against the British at the beginning of the 20th century, and many of them eventually made it to the ICS.The phrase 'Central Superior Services' was used in Pakistan after India was partitioned in 1947, and the idea of All-Pakistan Services persisted.After the declaration of independence in 1971, Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) was created in 1972 under the Bangladesh Public Service Commission Order, 1972;Presidential Order No. 34 (Ahmed, 1990).

Formation and Functions of the Commission
The Commission is regulated under Articles 137 to 141 of the Bangladeshi Constitution along with other relevant Rules and Regulations passed by the governments time to time.Articles 133 to 136, and Article 29 of the constitution govern the recruitment process of Bangladeshi nationals as Bangladesh Civil Servants.
The primary function of the constitutionally established 'Bangladesh Public Service Commission' (BPSC) is to hire people for various government services and positions.Additionally, it takes part in decisions making regarding other matters pertaining to the performance of the service, such as promotion, posting and transfer, and employee discipline.The main goal of creating such a body, known as "civil" or "public" service commission in the majority of nations with a British heritage, is to make sure that all decisions regarding hiring and other service-related issues are made in accordance with the principles of equity and merit.This organization is currently known as the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) that finally came into force on December 22, 1977.

Role of Civil Service in Good Governance
The role of bureaucracy in the past was very different from the role it plays today.In those days, bureaucracy was engaged in some traditional tasks like keeping law and order and collecting taxes were the main duties of the bureaucracy.However, over time, colonial bureaucracy evolved into a bureaucracy focused on development.The administration of the modern state has a specific goal.Today's bureaucracy places a strong emphasis on fostering the socioeconomic advancement of the nation.Because of this, public administration in developing countries must actively participate in the process of bringing about social change and development, either by launching policies and decisions that implement change and development planning, or by doing so indirectly.
A benchmark of excellence for the entire government, good governance is not only a desirable objective for civil administration.It makes perfect sense to ask the civil administration to uphold its high standards of professionalism while increasing the fairness and transparency of all of its dealings and to respond to public demands in a trustworthy manner.Thus, achieving broader objectives of public interest becomes absolutely necessary.A propeople and caring attitude are necessary for this.
In addition to improving efficiency and effectiveness in providing public goods and services and reducing corruption, good governance must also do so.Nothing is, however, feasible without a clear direction and backing from the governing political force.In this context, "good governance" refers to a highly competent civil administration, as opposed to the administration that is typically found in many developing nations, where elements of police states are pervasive.After hearing that a draft law pertaining to the civil service has been submitted to the parliament, it is imperative that the provisions be thoroughly discussed in the open and that action be taken to enliven the civil service (Alam, 2011).

The Relationship between Civil Service and Development in Bangladesh
The civil service and development are closely related in Bangladesh, as the civil service plays a crucial role in implementing and facilitating development policies and programs.
In Bangladesh, the civil service is responsible for designing and implementing government policies and programs related to development.Civil servants work in various sectors such as education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, and finance, among others, to ensure that development initiatives are effectively implemented.
Furthermore, the civil service is responsible for managing public resources and ensuring that they are used efficiently and effectively to support development goals.This includes overseeing budgetary allocations, managing procurement processes, and monitoring project implementation.
In recent years, Bangladesh has made significant progress in several areas of development, including poverty reduction, education, healthcare, and infrastructure.The civil service has played a key role in facilitating these achievements by providing the necessary administrative and technical support.
Overall, the relationship between civil service and development in Bangladesh is critical, and a well-functioning civil service is essential to achieving sustainable and inclusive development.

Bureaucratic Transparency in Bangladesh
The authority of bureaucracy has mostly remained almost unaltered despite recent reforms under structural adjustment programs, divestment, selling out, retrenchment, and budget cuts because the state's involvement in public affairs is still ubiquitous.Bureaucracy has a virtual monopoly on technical knowledge, which gives it even more authority and puts it in charge of determining public policy.In some instances, bureaucracy has turned interventionist, taking on duties that are frequently acknowledged as the legislature's sole prerogative.Therefore, despite being necessary, bureaucracy is also seen as a danger to democracy.In many instances, the fear that bureaucracy may abuse its position and transform into a power elite acting as the master rather than the servant of the people has shown to be unfounded.As a result, there are now solid foundations for bureaucratic responsibility and control.Although everyone wants accountability, it has recently received more attention.Accountability has become a key topic in the present discussion of public administration as a result of worldwide tendencies toward democratization, rising public expectations for improved government, and increasing support for "good governance" from academics and aid donors.

Major Problems that Prevailing in Bangladesh Civil Administration
Bangladesh is comparatively a newly born country that was liberated in 1971 from the then Pakistani rule through a bloody battle.It took a long time to recover those massive destructions within the country.Later and onwards somehow it has kept continuing the development in various sectors and posed an impressive performance on several social indicators in spite of numerous obstacles.In respect of civil administration, a number of structural and functional renovations have been made, i.e., e-governance with the development of online services to the citizens.
The attitudes and behavior of civil servants are always influenced by the bureaucratic nature of Bangladesh's public service as well as numerous unavoidable circumstances, such as social, political, and other pressures.Civil servants who are being forced either directly or indirectly by politicians, prominent local and international figures, and numerous hidden forces for the purpose of influencing the service delivery system.Furthermore, inescapable "push and pull" factors are seen as obstacles to the public's receiving services smoothly.The so-called "push factors" are things that can put pressure on public employees or put them in a position where they are forced to hurt the delivery of public services.The "pull factors," on the other hand, are those elements that can cause a greedy or comfortable situation to draw civil servants or motivate them to deliver very poor public services by engaging in corrupt practices and other things.The logic that uses "push and pull" factors to encourage or coerce civil servants into service delivery corruption and manipulation may be illustrated by the following figure (Islam, 2020).Source: Islam, M.S. ( 2020) At present Bangladesh Civil Service is experiencing ample of barriers to discharge public services, among them the major problems can be divided into four main categories which are as follows:

Lack of Accountability
Accountability in public administration plays a vital role in ensuring proper public services.Without accountability in administration, administrators become arbitrary and corrupt, leading to stagnation in public services.The extent to which the organization succeeds or fails in achieving specific goals depends largely on how accountable the public administration is.Accountability of the administration is very necessary to ensure maximum service using the limited resources as possible.In a democracy, accountability is a necessity.Unaccountable governance is one of the main obstacles to democracy.The most essential feature of a democratic government or administration is that the administration will be accountable to the people for its effectiveness.
In theory, administrative accountability is said to exist in Bangladesh, but in practice it is largely absent.And for this reason, there is futility of the internal accountability instruments of the administration, such as, administrative hierarchy, control, monitoring, unity of command, etc. in solving problems which the relevant authorities are not taking an active role.
Besides, poor institutional mechanisms, ineffective audit and accounting system, absence of participatory management, lackluster administrative tribunal, weak censorship and reprimand system, and gloomy political institution etc. also playing a major role to put bars on the way to be accountable (Sarker et al, 2017).

Absence of Transparency
Maintaining a transparent administration and ensuring that everyone has equal access to information about governmental operations are crucial for overcoming administrative challenges and improving civil service performance.
However, there are some Acts in Bangladesh dictate that civil servants take an ongoing oath of secrecy.The Government Servants Conduct Rules (GSCR) of 1979, for instance, even prohibits government employees "to communicate any information which has come into his possession in the course of his official duties-whether from official sources, or otherwise," according to the government, "to government servants belonging to sister organizations, to non-official persons, or to the press" (World Bank, 1996).And some corrupt individuals, gangs and organizations are taking advantage of this.

Inefficiency
Efficiency culture has a negative impact on Bangladeshi bureaucracy.These expansive public organizations in Bangladesh are mainly unresponsive and rigid.It takes a long time and is highly tiered.Inefficiency has many different root causes.A few of the causes of low productivity and efficiency may include, poor personnel management system, negative attitude/morale, poor performance, infractions of jurisdiction, conflict between generalists and specialists, professionalism deficit, quota system in recruitment, poor management information system (MIS), insufficient consistent, lack of timely and need-based training, ancient and obsolete laws, and so on (Sarker et al, 2017).

Massive Corruptions
According to Mullan (1970), a public official is corrupt if they accept money or something of value in exchange for carrying out their duties in any way, refraining from carrying them out, or using their discretion for improper purposes (Biswas & Rahman ,2018).
Nowadays, corruption is a problem that largely reigns across the globe, both developed and developing nations included.Political, economic, social, cultural, and behavioral factors all work together to support unethical behavior among wrongdoers and corrupt practices, and Bangladesh is not an exception to this.Corruption has become one of the major problems for ensuring good governance in Bangladesh.People in positions of authority, the very group poor were meant to be saved from, Large sums of money are regularly sucked up by bureaucrats through rent-seeking, bribery, and corrupt behavior, that the people are experiencing issues with.There is the Anti-Corruption Act of 1947, and an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for combating corruptions among the government departments/ ministries, politicians but instead of playing a formidable role in mitigating corruption it is largely ineffective.
Apart from that, it was a grave error to take away the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner's ability to draft the Superintendent of Police's Annual Confidential Report.This was a disgraceful gaffe because the British Government had carefully and wisely done this, but it had ultimately upset the long-standing harmony and beauty of civil administration (Alam, 2011).Bangladesh has to pay the price even today for that mistake.Since then, we have seen a sharp deterioration in law and order due to the lack of the necessary checks and balances in the system as well as the sudden removal of the district magistrates' necessary magisterial power.Although the government of Bangladesh has declared zero tolerance against corruptions and terrorism, but it remains forceless in many cases.

Major Challenges for Present Civil Services
Despite ongoing efforts to improve the quality of governance in the nation, Bangladesh's development continues to be hampered by numerous governance-related inefficiencies and complexity, both structural and non-structural which are as follows:

Corruption
As discussed in the foregoing sections, one of the main challenges to Bangladesh's public administration is to come out of the massive corruption.According to the Transparency International Report (TIR, 2003), the ability of law enforcement to carry out its mission is hampered by corruption.The prevalence of corruption in Bangladesh has negatively impacted not only the ability of law enforcement, but also the judiciary, public administration, and the ability of society to function fairly.As per the TIR, (2022), Bangladesh's CPI (Corruption Perceptions Index) score is still stands on 25/100 which was 28/100 in 2017, in a scale where 0 is the highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

Ineffective Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is an integral and unavoidable component of any society that is organized.However, Bangladesh's bureaucracy lacks management and administrative effectiveness.Particularly in terms of building capacity and implementing policies, our bureaucracy has a great lacking.It is not transparent or accountable to the public.The administrative system is governed by an out-of-date legal framework that needs to be updated or modern tools and techniques.

Nepotism
Nepotism is the practice of giving special treatment to selected individuals.Our politics and administration are once again cursed.The majority of the population is denied access to these opportunities because the rulers unfairly favor and privilege their family members, and kins on public resources which is also a major challenge for civil administration of the country (Sarker et al, 2017).

Politicization
In Bangladesh, politicization permeates every institution.In addition to increasing inefficiency and corruption in government institutions, including the police, politicization also increases human rights violations, particularly against the opposition political parties by fabricating cases.The lack of adequate governance is largely caused by the politicization of the civil service (Jahan, 2006).

Absence of Rule of Law
In Bangladesh, there are plenty of laws, but they are rarely put into practice.It is actually employed to stifle opposition parties.As a result, justice is compromised and denied to the public even though it is a crucial component of sound government (Hossen, M.M. (2011).

Waste of Limited Talent
In Bangladesh, civil servants are divided into two main categories: those working in the central government and those working in the local government.The central government employs a significant number of civil servants who work in ministries, departments, and agencies to formulate policies and implement government programs.On the other hand, local government civil servants work at the district, municipal, and Union Parishad levels, providing administrative and technical support for local development and governance."As of 2021, the total population of Bangladesh is approximately 165 million and the number of public servants is around 2.5 million.Therefore, the ratio of public servants to the population in Bangladesh is approximately 1:66.This means that for every 66 people in Bangladesh, there is one public servant" (Islam, 2018).Despite this situation, there are still a of highly skilled with the wrong talents working in administration, suppose, those who studied the liberal arts and became administrators.Administrators who have knowledge of other courses but no background in administration are frequently hired in Bangladesh through public service recruitment exams.As a result, they struggle to provide high-quality public service (Hossen, 2011).

Lack of Coordination
Both at the top and at the ground level of administration, there is a lack of coordination in the implementation of policy and projects.Coordination of planning, financing, and execution are key components, as are the coordination of multiple departmental objectives into one comprehensive, balanced plan (Sarker, 2017).

Transparency
Citizens must have access to information that is considered public.However, Bangladesh's administration lacks transparency at every level.Transparency in administration, particularly with regard to public service, ought to be a goal of the organization.Thus, it must be considered when carrying out all official business which is lacking, particularly in civil service (Biswas & Rahman, 2018).
The aforementioned challenges can further be categorized in the following broader areas: 3.3.9Political Challenges Political interference to administrative task occur in the following areas: Recruitment: Even though the part activist is not qualified, the leaders of the ruling party insist on having a recruitment agency hire them.The quota system prevents the deserving from being hired as an administrator.Poor hiring practices are to blame for the insufficiently effective governance (Jahan, 2006).
Promotion: Every organization has a very common situation where the supporters of the ruling party are promoted with no qualifications by disregarding a capable administrator, not having any political ideology, a party leader is not held responsible for an activist, the line that was once clearly drawn between government and administration is now blurred as a result of bureaucratic politics (Jahan, 2006).
Beside the political challenges, there are also economic, psychological, educational, and social challenges which are vividly discussed in Sarker et al, (2017) as follows:

Economic Challenges
Economic challenges may include an uneven or inadequate budget distribution, inappropriate pay structure, inadequate auditing, claim funds by submitting a fake voucher, and so on.

Psychological Challenges
Psychological challenges denote inadequate motivation, no connection between the reward system and promotion, no job satisfaction or security, rivalry between cadres, and lack of ability to lead.

Educational Challenges
Although education can result in positive behavioral changes in people, it hasn't been able to do the same for administrators.The educational material does not adhere to morally upright and patriotic administration because of lack of moral learning, almost no relation to study subject with job sector, lack of suitable development model, etc.

Social Challenges
Social challenges may include lack of rule of law for what criminals can easily get rid by the interruption of powerful political leader, non-participation of public in any decision-making process, controlled print and electronic/social media, using police to curb opposition parties, and lack of corporate social responsibility (Sarker et al, 2017).

Ways to Improve Civil Administration in Bangladesh
The obstacles and issues that have been mentioned and examined in the aforementioned parts are where solutions can be found.Bangladesh's civil service must concentrate on the following issues in order to overcome its problems and overcome its challenges:  Institutionalizing goal setting and tracking for each department-each ministry and government agency should set outcome-based goals with a clear timeline.
 Combating corruption from the government departments/ ministries, and politicians by bringing necessary amendments in the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
 Ensuring accountability in bureaucracy by strengthening institutional means for accountability, improving audit and accounting system, introducing participative management, strengthening the role of civil society, enforcing departmental action, strengthening administrative tribunal, activating the system of reprimand and censor, and strengthening political institution.
 Bringing transparency in administration by enacting and maintaining an effective law on freedom of information and bringing a serious amendment in the Official Secrets Act and the Government Servants Conduct Rules (GSCR) of 1979 to remove embargo on the access to information for the public.
 Long tenure of secretaries so that they can take decisions on any major long-term project without any hesitations.
 Providing effective training both in the beginning and interim period, and it should be linked with promotion and posting.
 Promoting the civil service as an autonomous body in real sense instead of a political legged or backed one.
 Better coordination and cooperation among the civil servants under all the three branches of the state, i.e., Executives, Legislature, and Judiciary.
 Instilling ethical and moral behavior through philosophical and theological means.
 Implementation of an effective HR system for civil servants with a unified single online platform that covers employees from the time they are hired to when they leave service.
 Introducing effective e-governance system where residents ought to be able to communicate with one another using a convenient, affordable interface, greater transparency, accountability, and objectivity are necessary in order to offer the public high-quality, affordable services.
 Modernization with ICT, MIS, and other automation  Independent judiciary and computerization with necessary concomitant aids to pave the way for having justice and discipline in the society.
 Establishment of Ombudsman as per the provision of Article 77 of the Constitution of Bangladesh  Rationalization of pay structure.
 Ensuring an uniform promotion and transfer policy.
 Introducing punitive measures for jurisdictional infringements.
 Strengthening the role of civil society.

Conclusion
The Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) is a vital cornerstone of the nation's governance structure, tasked with the crucial responsibility of implementing government policies and delivering essential public services.As the democratic heartbeat of the country, it is imperative that the BCS functions seamlessly to facilitate good governance and contribute to the overall development of Bangladesh.Since its inception following the tumultuous events of 1971, Bangladesh has made commendable strides towards political stability and improved governance.Nevertheless, the trajectory of progress remains inherently volatile due to a constellation of challenges that have persisted over time.These challenges, ranging from issues of political will and commitment to transparency and accountability, 'push and pull' dynamics within the civil service, and the absence of a robust regulatory framework, have collectively hindered the effective functioning of the BCS.Moreover, the specter of corruption looms ominously, eroding public trust in government institutions and giving rise to social unrest and economic stagnation.Recognizing the urgency of addressing these challenges and bolstering the BCS for the betterment of the nation, a multifaceted approach is essential.To promote economic growth, alleviate poverty, and ensure that citizens have access to quality public services, the government must embark on a comprehensive reform journey.This endeavor includes reducing political interference in civil service affairs, establishing transparent mechanisms for accountability, affording greater autonomy to civil servants, and implementing regular training programs to enhance their capacity and professionalism.This research article has endeavored to shed light on some of the most pressing challenges afflicting the Bangladesh Civil Service and has put forth recommendations aimed at ushering in an era of improved public service quality.It is evident that the path to a more efficient and accountable civil service is not merely an academic exercise but a national imperative.In this pursuit, the collaborative efforts of policymakers, civil servants, and citizens alike are as they collectively strive to reshape the BCS into a bastion of good governance, socio-economic progress, and public trust in Bangladesh.
(a) serve society by offering services, (b) govern or regulate society, and (c) build the country.