Sharply criticising BNP leaders for their frequent remarks on the coronavirus situation, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said that they (BNP leaders) have become habituated to criticizing the government banking on television and without leaving home.
The information minister was speaking as chief guest at the handing-over ceremony of 100 high flow Nasal canola to different hospitals in Chattogram and Dhaka, and the inauguration of central oxygen line at Chattogram General Hospital (CGH) and a corona hospital, sponsored by S Alam Group, held at the local circuit house.
Hasan said even at this age Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina never sat down for a single day but continued her greater responsibility for the welfare of the people.
“Every day she is meeting with government officials, giving necessary instructions. Not everything is shown on television. There are many more things that many of us do not know. We have succeeded in tackling the coronavirus situation through the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” the information minister added.
Chattogram Divisional Commissioner A B M Azad presided over the function while city Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin and special assistant to the Prime Minister Barrister Biplop Barua addressed the function as special guests.
The information minister said that many developed countries in the world have become helpless against the coronavirus.
“Their sound economy and military power are not doing anything for them. Virus is not a new thing, it is old. If we look at the contemporary history of the world, many such viruses have come and billions of people have lost their lives. In the past, more than five percent out of the world’s 100 crore population had died from the virus. From the very beginning, Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken proper steps to protect the people of Bangladesh from coronavirus,” Hasan said.
When the coronavirus appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the Bangladeshi citizens living there were brought back home by the chartered flight, he said.
Hasan said that those who were coming from abroad, government completing their health check-ups kept them on a 14-day quarantine.
“Our country is a developing country. We have a higher density of population than any other country of the world. Dhaka and Chattogram are the two most densely populated cities in the world. Despite adversity, time constraint and lack of capacity, we have dealt with the coronavirus successfully. Despite lagging behind many developed countries, due to the strong leadership and direction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has one of the lowest coronavirus death rate in the world. Even the death rate in Bangladesh is lower than neighbouring India and Pakistan” he added.
He said there was a lot of crisis in Chattogram at the beginning of the corona virus, but today there is no such problem in Chattogram.
“With the joint efforts of all, we have been able to ensure health care facilities to the people here. Now the beds of many hospitals are found empty. This has been made possible by both public and private initiatives“ he added.
The information minister said city Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin has built one isolation centre and Bidyut Barua, the younger brother of Biplob Barua, also has established a field hospital here.
“Many voluntary organizations have also helped bury the bodies. A voluntary organization is also working in my constituency,” he added.
Hasan conveyed thanks to all those who have come forward to deal with the crisis.
Hasan said, “S Alam Group Chairman Saiful Alam Masud talked to me many times about this initiative. I advised him to organise a function on his initiative, but they did not want it. Then I asked them to organise a distribution function.”
”Marine City Medical is being converted to a Covid Hospital. S Alam Group will provide all possible assistance there for the next six months. They have also established central oxygen line at and supplied ventilators to Chattograom General Hospital and also in Dhaka. Masud Bhai does not want any publicity about this,” he added.
Hasan hoped that all other industrialists of Chattogram will also come forward to jointly address this crisis.BSS
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