CHATTOGRAM, Aug 17, 2020 (BSS) – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said sheltering of militants by BNP-Jamaat is a big barrier in eliminating the menace of militancy.
“On this day (August 17) in 2005, bomb attacks were carried out at more than 500 places in 63 districts across the country. Led by Begum Khaleda Zia, BNP-Jamaat government was in state power then,” he told the inaugural ceremony of a Corona Cabin Unit at Imperial Hospital in Foy’s Lake area here in the morning.
The militants spread their heinous wings and gathered strengthen by getting their (BNP-Jamaat’s) shelters, Hassan, also joint general secretary of ruling Awami League, said, adding they (militants) carried out series bombings in 63 districts simultaneously to show their strength.
Noting that the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government has been able to show more success in combating militancy than many other countries, he said, “We will not claim that we have eliminated militancy completely. But it has been possible to control the menace. It would have been possible to eliminate the militancy if BNP-Jamaat did not give shelter to them (militants).”
Blaming BNP-Jamaat for sheltering militants still now, Hasan said, “The perpetrators of series bombing in 500 places at a time are still with the BNP-Jamaat alliance. Those who chanted the slogan ‘Amra Sobai Taliban, Bangladesh Hobe Afgan’ are still belonging to the 22-party alliance.”
When any militant was arrested, Hasan said, Begum Zia even made such irresponsible comments like ‘Some people are detained and kept confined. When their hair and beard are lengthened, they are called militants’.
BNP-Jamaat and their cronies are sheltering the militants by adopting such ways, the AL joint general secretary added.
About controlling the coronavirus, the minister said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, efforts have been made as much as possible to control the coronavirus in the country. We have been able to control the virus to a great extent”.
At the begging of the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, experts have expressed many concerns like— hundreds of people will die of the lethal virus, dead bodies will remain laid on streets and no bed will be available at hospitals, he said.
Those who criticize the government every now and then also made such comments, the information minister said, adding, “But by the grace of Almighty Allah and due to the government’s sincere efforts, such situation was not happened in the country.”
Informing that more than half of the corona beds at different hospitals in Chattogram still remain available, Hasan said, “We have been able to keep mortality rate from the COVID-19 of course lower than Europe; even it is lower than India and Pakistan.”
When the death rate from the lethal virus is about 2 percent in India and Pakistan, the death rate in Bangladesh is fluctuating between 1.2 and 1.30 percent, he said, adding, “It means that we have been able to control the virus to a in large extent. We will be able to control it more if the health guidelines are maintained properly.”
Mentioning that in many countries, coronavirus is being detected for the second time after the decline, the information minister said, “In New Zealand, the infection has started again after coming down the COVID-19 case to zero level. Wuhan and Beijing are also witnessing second time infection of the virus after coming to zero level. So, I personally think that it will not be fair to show relaxation over the virus”.
He thanked those who established the Imperial Hospital, a private health facility, in Chattogram and said, “The Imperial Hospital is enriched with medical equipment. There is no specialized hospital for heart diseases like this (Imperial) hospital in the country.”
“I appreciate the authorities for launching the Corona Unit at Imperial Hospital. Chattogram’s situation in corona treatment is better now,” Hasan said.
Imperial Hospital Board Chairman Professor Dr Rabiul Hossain and Daily Azadi Editor MA Malek addressed the function, among others.