BNP on Wednesday alleged that the weeklong lockdown, enforced by the government, is only causing public sufferings instead of yielding any positive outcome to contain Covid transmission due to mismanagement.

"The reality is that neither lockdown nor the restrictions are being implemented at the field level due to mismanagement of the government,” said BNP acting office secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince.

Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said people remain at a high risk of coronavirus infection because of the government’s contradictory moves. “Everything is in a mess everywhere, putting people in limitless troubles.”

The BNP leader also alleged that the government has enforced the lockdown without any prior preparation.

He said long traffic jams on roads and highways are the proof that the lockdown has been ineffective. “People are waiting in long queues for transports at different places in the city. Basically, everything is going on as before.”

Read: No step in sight to tackle Covid transmission: BNP

The BNP leader said the government’s policy makers took such a decision of enforcing a lockdown sitting in air-conditioned rooms without proper planning as they do not need to think about salary utility bills and money for managing food. “But people have to ensure sufferings as a result of this unplanned and unprepared move.”

Prince, also a BNP organising secretary, said the government's response to tackling the second wave of coronavirus is uncoordinated, unplanned, shortsighted and irrational as happened last year. “This time the government got a lot of time. But due to lack of prior preparation, the situation turned chaotic as it was last year.”

He also said corona-infected people are struggling to receive treatment for lack of sufficient vacant seats, ICUs, ventilators and oxygen supply at the hospitals in the cities and different district towns.

"Patients with corona infections are dying on the streets as they are running from one hospital to another for treatment. “The government has to shoulder the responsibility for this,” the BNP leader said.

Prince demanded the government take effective steps to ensure adequate healthcare facilities, ICUs, ventilators and oxygen at hospitals and conduct free Covid tests.