BNP: Buy Covid-19 vaccines with mega project funds

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday called on the government to procure Covid-19 vaccines on an emergency basis by diverting money allocated for mega projects.

“Our specific proposal is to identify the coronavirus crisis as the number one problem at the national level and buy vaccines on an emergency basis by diverting required money from other sectors, especially from the money allocated for megaprojects,” said party standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.

Speaking at a virtual press conference, Mosharraf also said it is necessary to procure vaccines from different sources, including pharmaceutical companies, across the world.

“We must take steps to collect millions of jabs, immediately and then it will be possible to contain the virus in four-six months,” he added.

Mosharraf, also a former health minister, said it is the responsibility of the government to buy vaccines and protect people from deadly coronavirus infections and fatalities, adding: “If they fail to do so, they must step down and shoulder the responsibility for their failures.”

The BNP leader demanded the government make public its plans to deal with coronavirus.

“BNP believes that the only way to control the situation is vaccination of 70-80% of the country's population as soon as possible. The government must take immediate steps to procure adequate vaccines and inform people about its roadmap on it,” he added.

Mosharraf alleged that people are dying and getting infected with the virus alarmingly due to the government’s negligence, corruption, and failures to control the situation.

He also urged the country’s people to wear masks and maintain the health safety rules to keep themselves protected from the virus.

He further said that the coronavirus situation has come under control in the countries where 70-80% of the population has been vaccinated, adding: “But only 2.5% or 42, 81,776 people have so far received two doses of vaccines in Bangladesh till June 27 due to the government’s utter diplomatic failure, irregularities in the purchase of vaccines and its waywardness.”

BNP Vice-Chairman Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, party chairperson’s adviser Dr Farhad Halim Donar, Doctors Association of Bangladesh’s President Prof Harun Al Rashid, Secretary General Dr Abdus Salam and BNP’s health affairs Secretary Rafiqul Islam also spoke at the press conference.