ZCZC
BSS-35
PM-COVID-19-ADDRESS 2 LAST DHAKA
Mentioning that the government has enforced a nonstop 62-day-long general holiday last year, the prime minister said reopening of educational institutions is yet to be possible alongside reestablishment of normal movement with foreign countries.
“Not only Bangladesh is facing this unwanted situation, all the countries of the world are also witnessing the surge of coronavirus infection and are being forced to take such measures,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government is maintaining strong vigilance to protect human lives alongside keeping the country’s economy and people’s livelihood rolling.
“We’ve been able to tackle the impacts of the pandemic successfully last year because of taking some timely measures with the cooperation of all,” she noted.
The prime minister also highlighted four main principles adopted by her government to combat the possible adverse impacts of coronavirus on the economy.
These are: increase of government’s expenditure; prioritizing ’employment generation’ for this expenditure; formulation of financial assistance packages; revitalizing economic activities, keeping the labourers and workers engage in works and upholding the competition efficiency of entrepreneurs; expansion of social safety net programmes to meet the basic necessity of the people living under poverty line, day labourers and the people involved with non-institutional activities; and raise the money supply keeping inflation under control, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government is implementing its programmes in line with the four principles and has already announced a total of 23 stimulus packages of Taka 124,053 crore alongside taking initiative of maintaining uninterrupted output in the factories and boosting agriculture production.
Besides, a total of nearly 2.5 crore people including day labourers, transport workers, hawkers, rickshaw pullers, school and madrasa teachers, students, Imams and Muazzin along with people of other religious organizations, journalists and other low income people has been brought under the government’s assistance, she said.
The premier said pandemic, storms, disasters are used to come over the years, but human beings have to survive combating these difficulties as the road of life is not smooth. “Overcoming all the hurdles, we’ll have to march forward,” she added.
Pointing out that Bangalee is a nation of heroes, she said, “We’re surviving defeating all difficulties and Insha Allah will be able to tackle this coronavirus pandemic,” she said.
Expressing her heartfelt Bangla Nabo Borsho greetings to all again, the prime minister reiterated her call to all to follow the health protection guidelines properly to stay safe.
BSS/AHJ/MAK/SH/1940 HRS