PM is conducting largest ever relief operation in country: Hasan

Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary and Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is currently conducting the largest ever relief operation in the history of the country, reports BSS.

“About seven crore people of the country have already come under the government’s assistance programme in various ways. Such a big incident never happened in the history of Bangladesh,” he said while distributing gifts among the players who became jobless amid coronavirus outbreak at the Rangunia Upazila Parishad Hall this afternoon.

“Taka 2500 is going to each of the listed people’s mobile phones and they need not to go anywhere for money… None had thought of this earlier,” Dr Hasan said.

“All Qawmi madrasas in the country have been given money before Eid. Money has been given to different mosques too. I do not know whether such kind of the relief operation has taken place in any of the neighboring countries,” he added.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Masudur Rahman presided over the distribution function while upazila vice-chairman Shafiqul Islam, acting upazila Health Officer Biswajit Banik, Officer in Charge of Rangunia thana Saiful Islam, Upazila AL General Secretary Engineer Shamsul Alam Talukder, UP Chairmen Idris Azgar, Nazrul Islam Talukder, Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury Milton, Upazila Juba League President Arju Sikder, among others, attended the distribution function as special guest.

“It is the country of hard working people. Millions of people work to earn their livelihoods. But now almost all activities in country have been stopped for more than two months due to coronavirus,” he said.

Dr. Hasan Mahmud said through its dynamism, the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has proved false the predictions of many others regarding the current situation.

“Due to such a large and well-planned relief operation led by the Prime Minister, not a single people in the country died from starvation by the grace of the Almighty,” he added.

Hopping that coronavirus will be eliminated from the world very soon, Dr Hasan said that a country cannot run closing all sectors for a long time.

“No country can survive by shutting down its economic activities for a long time. That is why even in the developed countries, various activities have been started gradually and people have returned to work. We also need to do that slowly. But we have to keep in mind that while doing that we have to maintain physical distancing,” he added.

Dr Hasan said the government as well as the AL has provided relief to about 12 million people across the country. Leaders of different levels of the party, members of parliament (MPS) and people’s representatives have conducted relief activities in each upazila of the country, he added.

The information minister said that from the first week of the general holiday in the country, relief activities were started in his home constituency of Rangunia upazila and Boalkhali area through his family organization NNK Foundation.

“Food items were distributed till the Eid day. We have delivered relief to all working people, including CNG, rickshaw, jeep driver and boatmen. Eid gifts have also been delivered to the imams and muezzins of each mosque and monks of the Buddhists temples and priests of Hindu temples before Eid. If this situation persists, the relief activities will continue,” he added.

The information minister said relief has been reached to the families of more than 60,000 people by the government and the private partners in Rangunia.

“This is an unimaginable matter in the history of Rangunia upazila. By the grace of Allah, there is no wailing in Rangunia. Many have received relief more than once,” he added.

Dr Hasan said Rangunia is a factory for creating players. “From here a number of people have played in the national football team and are still playing here.

“Boys of Rangunia have been playing in the national team for many years. Not only in football but also in other sports, the boys of Rangunia have been able to show their sportsmanship,” he added.

He conveyed thanks and congratulations to the players’ association and the players of Rangunai upazila for this.