Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday termed the fight against coronavirus a “war” and urged people to stay at their homes to discharge their responsibilities at this critical time.
“We won in 1971 against our enemy by standing shoulder to shoulder. Fighting coronavirus is also a war [and] in this war, your responsibility is to stay home. Inshallah, we’ll win the war with everyone’s efforts,” she said.
The Prime Minister made the plea while addressing the nation in the evening on the occasion of the Independence and National Day 2020.
State-owned Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television simultaneously broadcast the Prime Minister’s address. Private television channels and radio stations also aired the Prime Minister’s speech.
She asked the people of the country to strictly follow the health instructions to fight against coronavirus and avoid public gatherings.
Sheikh Hasina, in her over 23-minute speech, said right at the moment highest priority for the government is to save people from the virus.
Bangladesh has so far confirmed 27 cases after testing 794 people. Five people have so far died while seven others recovered.
The Prime Minister said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has already declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic and noted that the Independence Day will be observed in a different context due to the outbreak as the whole world is upset due to the spread of this virus.
“The rich or poor, developed or developing, small or big, all countries are more or less affected with this virus. Bangladesh is not free from this infection,” she said, urging everyone to avoid arranging programmes that causes public gatherings.
Hasina said, she is aware that people are passing their days in one kind of panic and worry. “I can understand their psychological condition, but in this crisis moment, we’ve to face the situation with patience and courage,” she said.
Hasina called on the expatriates who returned from coronavirus-affected countries to thoroughly follow home-quarantine instructions. “Just stay separately for 14 days only, these instructions have to be followed to save your family, neighbours, people of the area, and above all the people of the country,” she said.
She also said it would be easy to protect ourselves by following some health instructions and requested the people of all religions to perform prayers at home.
Hasina said IEDCR has opened hotline numbers while doctors opened their 500 numbers. “If the coronavirus symptoms show up, please contact with those numbers. The government is arranging all sorts of treatment.”
The Prime Minister said although coronavirus has the ability to spread quickly, it is not that much deadly, noting that most of the people affected by this virus get well within a few days but it became deadly for people with underlying medical conditions and the old. She urged everyone to pay the highest attention to those of the family who are most sensitive.
