Stay alert, keep homes, surroundings clean

Terming the dengue outbreak a big problem, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged people to be aware of the mosquito-borne disease and keep their houses and surroundings clean to prevent the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes.

“The dengue prevalence is still there … it used to be believed that these elite Aedes mosquitoes are seen in posh areas … now they’ve spread elsewhere … to many districts. So, we’ll have to remain more alert about it,” she said this while exchanging Eid greetings with officials at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Dengue is not only seen in Bangladesh, but also in many neighbouring countries in South Asia and even South East Asia, the PM said.

In other countries like the Philippines, it has turned into an epidemic, forcing them to declare emergency, Hasina added.

The PM thanked her office as it has always been active over the dengue issue.

She said the health and local government ministries and all other agencies concerned remained active in dealing with the dengue problem.

The city corporations have also been trying to rein in the dengue, Hasina said, adding that all the authorities concerned have taken proper measures to deal with the problem.

About the country’s economic progress, the PM said the GDP growth reached 8.10 percent and the government has fixed a target in the budget for the current fiscal year to achieve an 8.2 percent growth. The government has a target to reach the double digit, she added.

Mentioning that it is tough to accelerate the GDP growth from 8 percent, Hasina directed the government officials to work harder to do that.

 The PM stressed the need for the revival of some pro-people programmes like “Ghore Phera” Project”, “Shanti Nibash” Project, and “Oboshor” Project introduced by her previous governments. 

“We had taken these schemes for the welfare of people. But their tenures have expired. So, we’ll have to re-launch the projects in the public interest.

While talking about her government’s steps for curbing corruption, the PM said those who take and give bribes both are equally guilty. “We could have accomplished many work faster if steps had been taken keeping that in mind.”

She asked her office to strengthen its monitoring so that the work on development projects can start right after floodwaters recede.

“Since we’ve a good set-up, I think our office will have to strengthen the monitoring so that every ministry can prioritise work holding meetings right now .... and we can start the physical work [on the development projects taken for this fiscal year] immediately after floods,” she said.

Hasina said the PMO should give special attention to taking preparations so that the projects can be implemented timely.

Mentioning that the government has undertaken various development projects in the current budget, the PM said different ministries should now prioritise work as per the development projects, keeping it in mind that they get time to take preparations during floods.

Hasina said the country witnesses flood every year right after the national budget is placed. “So, paperwork on the development projects can be completed during the period of flood.”

PM’s advisers HT Imam, Mashiur Rahman and Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Principal Coordinator on SDG Affairs at PMO Abul Kalam Azad, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, and PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan were, among others, present at the function moderated by PM’s Principal Secretary Nojibur Rahman.

Source: unb