DHAKA, March 4, 2019 (BSS) – The cabinet today requested the countrymen to
pray for Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General
Secretary Obaidul Quader, who is now being treated at Bangabandhu Medical
University Hospital (BSMMU) with critical cardiac ailments.
“The cabinet was informed about his (Quader’s) health condition (and) it
urged the countrymen to pray for his early recovery,” Cabinet Secretary
Mohammad Shafiul Alam told a news briefing after the weekly cabinet meeting
with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at the PMO.
Alam added that according to the latest medical report Quader’s condition
“improved a little bit” while famous Indian cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty
joined fellow experts in Bangladesh to examine and treat Quader.
“He (Quader) will be treated either in the country or abroad on the basis
of Shetty’s opinion.”
Quader was admitted to the specialised health facility for heart
complication on Sunday morning where doctors earlier described his condition
to be “very critical” but later said since late Sunday he showed the sign of
a little improvement.
They said Quader was now appeared fit to be flown to Singapore for better
treatment while arrangements were afoot for his air journey.
The cabinet adopted separate obituary resolutions on the devastating Chawlkbazar fire incident in the capital, in which 71 people were killed and 55 injured, and on the death of founder of ‘book reading movement’ and also Ekushey Padak winner Haris Uddin popularly known as Polan Sarker, 98, the cabinet secretary said.
It expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of Chawlkbazar fire victims and Polan Sarker, and prayed for their departed souls and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members, he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has supervised the overall measures such as arranging appropriate compensation, distributing bodies and also arranging their burial and ensuring proper treatment for the injured in Chawlkbazar fire, he informed.
The cabinet in principle approved the draft law of “Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan Act, 2019”, he said, adding, “Everything in the draft law is almost like the ordinance of 1983. Some changes have been made in section 5 of the law. There were earlier 10 members of the Board of Governors headed by the Minister in-charge of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in accordance with the ordinance. The Board of Governors will be constituted with 20 members in light of the draft law.”
BKSP has being run by a military ordinance of 1983 and there is a legal obligation to enact a new law translating it into Bengali, he also said.
The cabinet has been informed of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s tours to Germany from February 14-16, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) from February 17-19.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina participated as panel discussant in roundtables ‘Health in Crises- WHO Cares’ and ‘Climate Change and Security: Too Hot to Handle?’ in the Munich Security Council during her last Germany tour.
The premier as panel discussant in ‘Health in Crises-Who Cares,’ highlighted Bangladesh’s achievement in health sector, the security picture of the WHO, particularly the challenges and their remedy and measures taken by her government to secure the health of the forcibly displaced Myanmar citizens.
Sheikh Hasina as panel discussant has informed the conference that one third of her population are in risk of losing houses due to climate change particularly for sea level rise and her government’s initiative to raise ‘Climate Change Trust Fund’ in ‘Climate Change and Security: Too Hot to Handle? Roundtable, he added.
During her UAE visit from Feb 17-19, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined the opening session of the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX-2019) at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).
She met Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and held bilateral talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai on February 18.
Sheikh Hasina met with Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi, wife of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and the Inaugural President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, at Al Bahar Palace and had a luncheon with her the same day.
“It is a rare gesture of Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan to invite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to their Majlish and allowed her to talk there,” he also said.
Both of them also recalled the memories of friendly relationship between Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and the Inaugural President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi during their talks.
Four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been inked between the two countries during Prime Minister’s visit to UAE.
It also informed Bangladeshi Foreign minister’s participation in the 5th meeting of ‘Joint Consultative Commission’ in New Delhi from February 7-8 and participation of the minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at Third Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific’ in Singapore from January 23-25.