“I think we should not only depend on what the government is doing to face coronavirus. We need to forge a nation unity to make people aware (of the disease),” he said.

“Let’s all political parties and professional bodies get united and take programmes to raise awareness among people to tackle the coronavirus. If we can do this, people will be more benefited than the government’s programmes, the BNP leader added.

He made the remarks while speaking at a discussion on coronavirus at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) arranged by Bangladesh Nagorik Odhikar Andolon.

Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, urged all political and other organisations to avoid holding public rallies and meeting now as part of a move to check the virus.

He said the government should also shut down all the educational institutions to avoid the risk of spreading the virus. “All the necessary precautionary measures need to be taken immediately to prevent the coronavirus.”

Moudud said the government announced the detection of three coronavirus cases in the country when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi postponed his Bangladesh tour.

He alleged that the country does not have the necessary equipment to provide medical care to the coronavirus infected patients. "I do not think the government is taking proper measures to tackle the coronavirus.

“We’ve to keep it in mind that the current government is an unelected one which has no accountability to people. That’s way when they say something or when they do something we always doubt it,” Moudud observed.

The BNP leader said the government could not ensure appropriate measures at the airports to test the passengers coming to Bangladesh from abroad.

Speaking at the programme, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said the Prime Minister on Thursday said no one, except three one, in the country infected with the coronavirus. “How did she say that? I am asking the Prime Minister and the ministers how can you be so sure that there is no more patient in the country?”

He said people have a perception that the government is doing politics over the celebrations of the Mujib Year . “If the Mujib Year’s programmes are national ones, Khaleda Zia, all the freedom fighters and the jailed opposition leaders can be present there, but no such initiative has been taken.”

Manna said the government, which could not prevent dengue outbreak last year, will not be able check to coronavirus prevalence as well. “They (govt) are doing politics over the coronavirus instead of making efforts to protect people from it.”