Taking a swipe at those who are criticizing the government over its Covid-19 vaccine management, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged them to have patience and see what the government can do to ensure vaccines for all.
“I would like to tell those who criticise [the govt] to have patience and see what we can do. Why do you criticise?” she said, adding that the government will ensure vaccines for all.
The Prime Minister said this while addressing a virtual discussion arranged, marking the 72nd foundation anniversary of Bangladesh Awami League.
The Prime Minister joined the event from Ganobhaban, while other AL leaders from the party’s Bangabandhu Avenue central office.
“We’re taking effective measures so that everybody gets vaccines. We’ll do that,” Hasina said.
She said they started contacting every country where vaccine development was at the research level. “Many countries in the world could not go for vaccination yet, but Bangladesh started the inoculation drive collecting vaccines.”
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She said India banned vaccine export following the massive transmission of coronavirus there. Though Bangladesh fell in trouble to some extent due to the export ban, it later started procuring vaccines from other sources, she said.
“I get stunned when I see those who were given two doses of vaccines on priority basis now criticise us,” said the Prime Minister.
She asked the critics to try to understand the global situation over the vaccine issue. “Bangladesh earlier procured the vaccine at 4 US dollars…now it’s 15 US dollars. The price will go up further in the days to come.”
Hasina said the government has worked out plans so that the vaccines can be produced locally by setting up a vaccine institute here to conduct research in this regard. “We’ll take the measures necessary to develop vaccines in the future by setting up this institute,” she said.
Follow lockdown, maintain health protocols
Noting that the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic is badly transmitted throughout the country and many places across the world, she urged the people of the country to follow the lockdown and health protocols even after getting vaccinated.
“You all will have to follow the lockdown restrictions that we’ve enforced. All will have to stay home. If we stay home, wear face-masks, wash hands regularly and remain alert, then we can overcome this situation,” she said.
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Book launch
In the beginning of the discussion, Hasina, the longest serving president of AL as she has been in the helm of the party since 1981, unveiled the cover of a memorial book titled “Sheikh Hasinar Netritter Char Dashak: Sangrami Neta Theke Kaljoyee Rastronayok” (Four Decades of Sheikh Hasina’s Leadership: From a Struggling Leader to a Time-tested Statesman).
The book was published by AL’s information and research sub-committee and edited by party information and research secretary Dr Salim Mahmud.
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader delivered the welcome speech in the discussion arranged by AL.
AL central leaders Begum Matia Chowdhury, Dr Abdur Razzaque, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Dr Hasan Mahmud, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya Bir Bikram and Meher Afroz Chumki, and AL’s Dhaka city south unit president Abu Ahamad Mannafi and its Dhaka city north unit president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, among others, spoke at the discussion conducted by AL publicity and publication secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap.
Bangladesh Awami League had been formed on this day in 1949 at “Rose Garden” on KM Das Lane in Dhaka, which later transformed into the biggest political party of the country to lead struggles of freedom, the War of Liberation and all other democratic movements.
About AL’s dedication to the country and its people, she said, “Yes, there’re some left-leaning parties and some rightist ones but the truly pro-people party is only Awami League here”, she said adding that BNP and Jatiya Party were formed by military dictators Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad and they
Hasina added: “If we want to see an organisation of mass people, which was formed with grassroots people, it is Awami League. Though there are some communist parties and some other small parties here, the core party is only one -- Bangladesh Awami League.”