BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday alleged that the government is doing business over the procurement of coronavirus vaccine.
“They (govt) want to do business over Covid (vaccine procurement). They’ve started doing business over it from the very beginning,” he said.
Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader said, “They provided around Tk 700 crore to procure three crore jabs of Oxford-AstraZeneca as per the suggestion of one of their advisers, but they still didn't get even 1.5 crore doses of the vaccine.”
Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the 40th death anniversary of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.
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Fakhrul said the government signed the agreement with the Serum Institute over the vaccine knowing such a consequence.
He said the government is now trying to bring vaccines from China and Russia though it earlier ignored the proposals of the two countries to sign agreements with them over their vaccines.
About the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2021-22, he said it is a good budget for businessmen, but nothing has been given for the six crore people who are now below the poverty line.
He said their party has repeatedly urged the government to give the poor Tk 15,000 for three months. “It would not be a big amount. Why didn't you give it? Every country is doing this and they have already transferred cash. If you want to run the wheels of the economy, people have to have money in their pockets.”
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The BNP leader said the government has been providing cash support and other facilities to the pro-ruling party big industrialists, ignoring the poor and needy people.
He said many journalists are going through serious sufferings amid the coronavirus, but the government is not giving them any incentive. “Rickshaw-pullers, small traders and other affected and jobless people are not getting any incentive.”
The BNP leader called upon all political parties to get united to overcome the current situation of the country through a joint movement.