BSS-56 ‘AL grassroots workers risking lives to help destitute people’

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BSS-56

SPEAKERS-GRASSROOTS-WORKERS

‘AL grassroots workers risking lives to help destitute people’

DHAKA, June 03, 2020 (BSS) – Speakers at a webinar here today said distressed and low-income people are getting help as the grass-root workers of Bangladesh Awami League are risking their lives to help them for mitigating their sufferings rendered by coronavirus pandemic.

They made the remarks in the fourth session of the ruling Awami League’s ongoing webinar titled ‘Beyond the Pandemic’ held at June 2.

Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Barrister Shah Ali Farhad conducted the fourth episode, said a press release.

Awami League’s Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif ,MP, Organizing Secretary S M Kamal Hossain, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam ,MP, Dr Syeda Zakia Nur Lipi, MP and Bangladesh Federal Journalist Union’s Vice President Syed Ishtiaq Reza took part in the webinar as discussants, the release added.

This episode’s discussion point was ‘Role of Public Representatives during COVID-19 Crisis’.

Mahbubul Alam Hanif ,MP, said: “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been proactive since the breakout of COVID-19 in Bangladesh as she announced several directives for public representatives, doctors and countrymen.”

“These directives were the results of numerous discussions with policy-making bodies of the government. To contain the spreading of the virus she announced a general holiday across the country and provided food and monetary assistance to more than 60 million people. Her party men also joined hand in this endeavor as many of the public representatives and leaders initiated self-funded relief programme in their localities,” he added.

Answering to a question on how Awami League is dealing with the local representatives who are found to be involved in relief embezzlement, party’s Organising Secretary SM Kamal Hossain said, among 61,579 elected public representatives, only 71 were found in embezzlement which is only 0.13 percent of the total public representatives.

Despite the very small percentage, Awami Leagues did not let the issue slide and took actions from the government and the party as well, he added.

Journalist Ishtiaq Reza said, “Mass media has two major purposes to serve during this crisis. First one is to deliver true and right messages and the second is to find out the accurate information from the pile of rumors.”

He also said the reaction of negative news sometimes trumps the positivity of an action which the local representatives should keep in mind.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said:”Many of the public representatives has been distributing relief with their own funds. The rumors surrounding the relief embezzlements could have hampered the initiative.”

The MPs, upazila chairmen even grassroots leaders who have stepped forward during this crisis to help people selflessly could lose the inspiration, he added.

He said :”The grassroots workers are risking their lives when they are distributing relief among thousands of people almost every day. They have helped to realize Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directives to stand beside people in this crisis”.

Dr Syeda Zakia Nur Lipi ,MP, said, “Many recipients have said to us that they have never seen any relief drive so organized what they are seeing now”.

She also said: “Prime Minister is strengthening the health sector to fight this crisis. The government has appointed 2,000 doctors in fastest time ever. 5,054 nurses have also been appointed and 2,000 more doctor will be appointed. Also, a process to employ 12 thousand medical technicians has been finalized.”

BSS/PR/SRH/RY/21:38 hrs