Withdrawal of Lockdown May Create Deathtrap: BNP

Opposing the withdrawal of lockdown ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, BNP on Friday feared that it will help spread the Covid transmission across the country, turning the country into a deathtrap, reports UNB.

"The government has lifted the lockdown in an unplanned way on the occasion of Eid allowing people to go home. People will go home and again come back to Dhaka from villages and thus the virus will spread all over the country,” said party standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku.

Speaking at a virtual press conference, on behalf of BNP’s corona infection monitoring committee, he also said the Delta variant is very dangerous as it is 70 per cent more contagious than other variants.

“So we’re worried that the measures the government has taken only to help spread corona across the country and it may turn into a death valley in the end,” the BNP leader observed.

He alleged that corona-infected people in rural areas are not getting treatment, medicine and oxygen in district hospitals for lack of beds. “The health system across the country is now in a complete mess.”

Under the circumstances, the BNP leader said their party standing committee has decided to open corona help centres in the party’s offices in every district with the help of Ziaur Rahman Foundation and Doctors' Association of Bangladesh (DAB).

He said they have so far opened corona help centre in 53 districts. “As the largest political party in the country, we will stand by people at this bad time.”

He said their party’s help centre will give people an ambulance service and reach oxygen cylinders to their homes alongside providing people treatment and medicines through different apps.

Tuku said their party proposed the government to make the lockdown a success by giving the poor, the marginalised and unemployed people giving Tk 15,000 as cash support for three months.

“But the government did not do that. They announced incentives, but we don't know to whom they are giving the money. If you go to slums and ask them whether they’ve received the money, you'll get the right answer,” the BNP leader said.

Tuku alleged that police shut their party’s help centre in Barguna district on Thursday, saying BNP's help service is not needed. "We would like to urge the government you please allow us to stand by people and help them.”