For a responsible government it is easy to realise that at a time of national crisis, government is last resort for insurance of help.
The people have become unemployed for no decision of the owners. They have become so for the decision of the government. All owners are not rich. But most of the owners of the garment industries are millionaires. It is not unknown they have properties and money in foreign countries. They could be generous with the poor workers with their surplus money at least for few months.
The owners of businesses are demanding cash for the jobless workers. The government has sanctioned loans from the banks to the owners of garment factories at a lower rate of interest. The government granted loan facilities to few others. But our information is banks are dragging their feet for not having money.
The government thinks lockdown of the people and shutdown of the economy are easy solutions to the crises caused by the pandemic. The government employees including government teachers are being paid with public money whether they are working or not. Now the government has to be generous with public money to help the people at this dire time. The government is very generous to help themselves. The tolerated crores of taka looted away from banks. Like in many other countries the unemployed people must get their wages from public funds during this crisis.
This is not charity. The unemployed people should have the right to get their wages from public money in the care of the government.
It is an established fact that the government is most disorganised for coordinated actions. The situation is exposed in every way at a time when most competent government is necessary for meeting the challenges of coronavirus pandemic. The main preparation against pandemic should have been the healthcare system.
After four months this most important area is still woefully unprepared. The doctors, nurses, health workers including police and army who should be in frontline for fighting the vicious disease are not getting enough protection gear to be alive, so dying in large number. Their helplessness means the whole nation is going to be helpless victims. The problem will not go away by threatening with their loss of jobs.
Unless the hospitals are properly equipped no other step will work to save the people from the coronavirus. The people will have no confidence about survival. They do not see any coordination in decision taking of the government .When comes to implementation there is also no certainty.
This is certain that we need to have active medical experts for defeating the enemy. But they are worried for their own lives and frustrated for not being helpful enough to the patients. Because hospitals are not equipped to treat. The patients are refused to be admitted.
But experts are not taken seriously for procuring the protective gears and necessary medical equipment on an urgent basis.
At this late stage a letter from one of the ministers has gone to the US ambassador seeking American help. Our best friends like China and India are not seen by our side at this critical time. The government appears alone and isolated.
In the first place, it cannot be acceptable to the lakhs of garment workers who apprehend loss of jobs for them and earning of livelihood. Factory owners have put their selfish interest first.
We are not sure that the buyers will be interested in receiving garments from a coronavirus affected country like Bangladesh. The total exercise will end in chaos.
If the decision to reopen few garment factories could be implemented in a planned way that would be a credit. It would have been justification for the fact that some workers had been gainfully employed.
At the time of the decision to partially open the garment factories was taken it did not occur to the government that nowhere in the world crowded big factories have been allowed to reopen.
If necessary internal loan or help is to be obtained but it has to be seriously taken that public money is for the benefit of the people. We want to see cut in salaries and benefits enjoyed government and government employees with public money when so many are going hungry.
The people have become unemployed for no decision of the owners. They have become so for the decision of the government. All owners are not rich. But most of the owners of the garment industries are millionaires. It is not unknown they have properties and money in foreign countries. They could be generous with the poor workers with their surplus money at least for few months.
The owners of businesses are demanding cash for the jobless workers. The government has sanctioned loans from the banks to the owners of garment factories at a lower rate of interest. The government granted loan facilities to few others. But our information is banks are dragging their feet for not having money.
The government thinks lockdown of the people and shutdown of the economy are easy solutions to the crises caused by the pandemic. The government employees including government teachers are being paid with public money whether they are working or not. Now the government has to be generous with public money to help the people at this dire time. The government is very generous to help themselves. The tolerated crores of taka looted away from banks. Like in many other countries the unemployed people must get their wages from public funds during this crisis.
This is not charity. The unemployed people should have the right to get their wages from public money in the care of the government.
It is an established fact that the government is most disorganised for coordinated actions. The situation is exposed in every way at a time when most competent government is necessary for meeting the challenges of coronavirus pandemic. The main preparation against pandemic should have been the healthcare system.
After four months this most important area is still woefully unprepared. The doctors, nurses, health workers including police and army who should be in frontline for fighting the vicious disease are not getting enough protection gear to be alive, so dying in large number. Their helplessness means the whole nation is going to be helpless victims. The problem will not go away by threatening with their loss of jobs.
Unless the hospitals are properly equipped no other step will work to save the people from the coronavirus. The people will have no confidence about survival. They do not see any coordination in decision taking of the government .When comes to implementation there is also no certainty.
This is certain that we need to have active medical experts for defeating the enemy. But they are worried for their own lives and frustrated for not being helpful enough to the patients. Because hospitals are not equipped to treat. The patients are refused to be admitted.
But experts are not taken seriously for procuring the protective gears and necessary medical equipment on an urgent basis.
At this late stage a letter from one of the ministers has gone to the US ambassador seeking American help. Our best friends like China and India are not seen by our side at this critical time. The government appears alone and isolated.
In the first place, it cannot be acceptable to the lakhs of garment workers who apprehend loss of jobs for them and earning of livelihood. Factory owners have put their selfish interest first.
We are not sure that the buyers will be interested in receiving garments from a coronavirus affected country like Bangladesh. The total exercise will end in chaos.
If the decision to reopen few garment factories could be implemented in a planned way that would be a credit. It would have been justification for the fact that some workers had been gainfully employed.
At the time of the decision to partially open the garment factories was taken it did not occur to the government that nowhere in the world crowded big factories have been allowed to reopen.
If necessary internal loan or help is to be obtained but it has to be seriously taken that public money is for the benefit of the people. We want to see cut in salaries and benefits enjoyed government and government employees with public money when so many are going hungry.
