“Coronavirus has taken a serious turn and spread across the country due to the extreme negligence, ignorance of the government as its main goal is to steal public money instead of containing the pandemic,” he said.

He came up with the remark while inaugurating ‘MA Haq Healthcare Programme’ in Sylhet through a virtually event from his Uttara residence.

He said the government claimed that they found Bangladeshis who were sent back home from abord free from coronavirus through screening and tests at the Hajj Camp, but a returnee at that camp told a BBC Bangla reporter that they did not go through any screening.

“How irresponsible the government and officials and employees of this health directorate can be. Even after so many incidents, death of several thousand people and infection of lakhs of people, the onslaught on people’s life and livelihoods, they’re not still exercising their minimum responsibilities,” the BNP leader bemoaned.

Referring to the issue of giving fake certificates of coronavirus test by Regent Hospital, he said the country’s image has got tarnished in the international arena as global media focused on the matter. “We fear no one from Bangladesh now can go abroad anymore. All airlines are shutting flights (from Bangladesh). It’ll also have a major impact on the economy.”

Fakhrul said the government cannot eschew the responsibility for the Regent Hospital scam since its owner has very close relations with “all ministers and top ruling party leaders. It's not only one incident, but there’re many such cases. There’s a man, Mithu, who is said to have controlled the whole health directorate and indulged in plundering.”

Under the circumstances, he said, people should not depend on the government for their safety. “We ourselves have to try our best to survive and stop the spread and infection of the virus.”