DHAKA, April 18, 2020 (BSS) – Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today urged BNP secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir not to mislead people in the name of giving advice on coronavirus.
“If the government makes any mistake in addressing the coronavirus crisis, we welcome good advice,” he told a press conference on contemporary affairs at his official residence here.
But, Quader said, delivering misleading statements over the COVID-19 to criticise the government would not be the duty of a responsible political leader.
Criticising Fakhrul for his misleading statements, he said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced stimulus packages considering the interest of all and giving priority to the frontline workers.
“The stimulus packages were appreciated by all sections and even Fakhrul Islam Alamgir thanked (the prime minister). Now, opposing for opposition, BNP starts giving misleading statements about the packages to gain political benefits,” the AL general secretary said.
He added: “We do not expect such nonsense statements from a responsible political leader amid the ongoing crisis”.
Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, said the government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, continues its efforts to stand by people and tackle the global coronavirus pandemic.
“We do not want to get involved in blame game in politics amid such a crisis…BNP leaders are deliberately making misleading statements by holding press conference regularly aiming to create panic among the people but they do not stand by the people confined to their homes,” he said.
The AL general secretary said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called for forming a national taskforce on COVID-19, but thing is that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already formed a national committee to tackle coronavirus.
Mentioning that the UK government has formed a taskforce to innovate vaccine for coronavirus and the United States has also formed a coronavirus medical taskforce, he said: “What does Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir mean by the national taskforce? He has not made it clear.”
The BNP’s demand for formation of a national taskforce is a politically motivated one, Quader said, calling upon the people not to be misled to this end and follow health guidelines to prevent coronavirus.