Don’t despair, tackle crisis courageously

Urging the people to face the coronavirus situation with courage and patience, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said they should not be disappointed with or afraid of the situation.

In her concluding speech to the seventh session of the 11th parliament, the PM said the Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh is better than in many developed countries.

She urged all to stay indoors and maintain social distancing to fight coronavirus.

"I would like to urge the people, including the elected public representatives and party leaders and workers, to obey the directives on health that are being given time and again in view of the Covid-19 outbreak in the country," she said.

Hasina said isolation units were opened at different divisional headquarters and districts. The government would take measures to set up intensive care units at every district hospital, she added.

She said there was no shortage of Covid-19 testing kits in the country.
The PM said her government would distribute 50 lakh ration cards among the low-income people in addition to the existing 50 lakh so that they do not have problems with food.

"Inshallah, we will be able to take measures so that nobody faces problems regarding food."

Mentioning that Bangladesh had no experience of dealing with such an epidemic, Hasina said they couldn't imagine that such a health-related cyclone would hit.

"But after knowing about the coronavirus, we took some immediate health safety measures in line with the guidelines from World Health Organisation, which include closing of schools and colleges, imposing restrictions on social gathering, shutting airports and land ports and ensuring 14-day quarantine for those returning home from abroad," she added.

The premier said she has already instructed the disaster management and relief ministry to get involved with the government's three hotline numbers so that it can send food aid to the callers.

Yesterday afternoon, the House went into its seventh session for a very brief period due to the spread of Covid-19 in the country.

With Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair, the sitting started around 5:00pm.

The Speaker said the 11th parliament went into its seventh session amid the Covid-19 outbreak due to a constitutional obligation.

The constitution stipulates that there can be a maximum 60-day gap between the end of a session and the beginning of the next one, she said.

"As the last session of parliament was prorogued on February 18, the next session would have to be held within April 18," she said.

The session was prorogued within an hour after adoption of a condolence motion on the death of Awami League lawmaker M Shamsur Rahman Sharif from Pabna-4. The MP passed away at a city hospital on April 2.

The PM, AL MP Matia Chowdhury, and Opposition Chief Whip Moshiur Rahman Ranga, among others, took part in the motion.

Sources at the parliament secretariat said this was the shortest session of Jatiya Sangsad in the recent history of Bangladesh parliament.

The seating arrangement was made ensuring social distancing among lawmakers.

The government earlier advised journalists to cover the session through watching it live on Sangsad Television.

A limited number of lawmakers were present at the House yesterday. Lawmakers mainly from Dhaka and its adjacent districts were present.

Most of the senior and front row MPs remained absent as per advise from the parliament secretariat, sources said.