News Desk:
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the government has been able to put coronavirus under control in the country as different ministries and government organizations, including the Health Ministry and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), worked in a synchronized way with utmost sincerity.

"Some people are saying many things regarding the Directorate General of Health Services or Health Ministry…whatever I’ve directed them on an emergency basis they did that. They worked properly…that’s why we’ve been able to put coronavirus under control," she said.

The Prime Minister said this in her introductory speech at a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at her official residence Ganobhaban.

Sheikh Hasina said when she directed them to do anything on coronavirus-related issues she asked them to work promptly bypassing the mandatory government rules as those were very much urgent to provide medical services to the people of the country.

Hasina said the government recruited 2,000 doctors and 3,000 nurses along with some technicians on an emergency basis to provide medical services to patients.

The Prime Minister thanked all the government organizations and Awami League and its associated bodies for their coordinated and sincere efforts to help people unite.

"It’s only the Awami League for which people get cooperation. Had there been any other party (in power), numerous people would have died, people would have undergone indescribable sufferings."

She also said the example of such coordinated and sincere efforts is rare in the country.

The Prime Minister said the global economy had stalled due to coronavirus. “The government tried to keep the wheels of the country’s economy moving. We’ve announced our national budget, we didn’t reduce the budget largely, we’ve enlarged it from the previous one…placing an over Tk 5-lakh crore budget was a tough one… we said we’ll spend on a limited scale, we’ll do what we need the most, we placed a budget to keep our economy in shape."

She also mentioned that the government gave stimulus packages for every one -- whoever needed that.

Hasina thanked the farmers of the country for their all-out efforts in producing food grains for which the country did not plunge into any food shortage.

She also expressed her sincere thanks to Chhatra League, Juba League, Swechhashebak League, Krishak League and Awami League leaders and activists for extending their cooperation to the farmers during the paddy harvesting.

Regarding the party politics, the AL chief said organizational power is the main thing and AL’s organizational power at the grassroots level has been proved again during this Covid-19 pandemic.

She said some 522 AL leaders and activists laid their lives during the pandemic. "No other political party made such a great sacrifice, they just do their lip services, they were not seen standing beside people in the field," she said.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that there are so many organizations in the country that usually help the poor people, but in this pandemic situation their activities were not seen.

"This is the reality, all were at their houses… no one was beside people. AL was beside people as it’s the party of the mass people…it works for the welfare of people, we’re beside people and will always remain with them," she added. Source: UNB