Sharply criticising BNP leaders for their frequent comments, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said the country’s people are witnessing that BNP leaders give speeches in televisions keeping themselves in isolation during the coronavirus epidemic instead of standing by them.
“The countrymen can see the real scenario as to who are in the field and providing support to the people during the pandemic and who are not to do the same. BNP leaders only gave speeches in televisions. But they didn’t stand beside the commoners during the catastrophe,” he said.
The minister made the comments on Monday while replying to a query of a journalist at a press briefing at his Secretariat office.
Criticising the comments of BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the minister said, “I don’t want to attack anyone personally and it should not be. Awami League has distributed reliefs to more over 1.25 families. Besides, about seven crore people have already been brought under the government’s assistance programme in various ways.”
He said BNP leaders are giving speeches in televisions through video conferences by remaining at home. “On the other hand, many leaders, lawmakers and activists of Awami League have been infected with the virus and even many senior leaders and lawmakers have died. They all were in the field. So, the people of the country can understand who are telling the truth,” said Hasan, also AL Joint General Secretary.
The minister said it is normal for a party, which banks on the dogma of telling lies, would continue to talk lies.
Replying to another query, he said hospitals have been established for providing services to people. “But it is not proper to refuse the patients from hospitals. Even they can provide advices or take steps to admit the patients into another hospital. I think refusing to admit a patient to a hospital in this situation is a crime. And the hospitals cannot avoid the liability of dying patients,” he added.
Replying to another query on elections to two constituencies in Bogura and Jashore, Hasan said the Election Commission is an independent body and they take decision independently. So, the commission can explain over their decision, he added.
Hasan said it is also true that the people are worried in the present situation though the situation of Dhaka and that of Bogura or Jashore is not the same.
For this, they decided to hold polls in the two constituencies, he said adding that the commission could say it well what it will do.
