BNP wants army in relief distribution

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday urged the government to engage army to make the list of marginalised people and distribute relief and other government assistance for ensuring transparency and stopping theft.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain made the demand in an online briefing.

He said that the government already had the lists of the beneficiaries of Vulnerable Group Feeding and Test Relief and freedom fighters and elderly people’s programmes.

An extended list, including daily wage earners, the poor and low-income people, should be prepared so that the most affected people could get the relief.

‘If armed forces members are given this responsibility, they will properly make the list. The needy people will be befitted and can survive if all the relief materials and other assistance are distributed under the direct supervision of the army and police,’ he said.

It is the main duty of the government to contain the coronavirus and protect people from starving, he said. ‘We will also have to play a role alongside the government in this regard.’

Mosharraf referred to media reports on rice and relief theft by ruling Awami League leaders and local government representatives and said that it was not possible to ensure transparency in distribution of the relief by AL leaders as they had become accustomed to theft over the past 12 years.

‘The government has realised it as it has already stopped the open market sale of rice,’ he said.

Mosharraf, also former health minister, suggested that the government should increase the test of COVID-19 suspects as much as possible to quickly identify the infected people and thus protect others from infection.

He also urged the government to better equip hospitals immediately with sufficient ICU beds and ventilators to tackle the growing number of coronavirus patients and save their lives.

The BNP leader also called upon the government to give more incentives for the frontline coronavirus warriors like health workers, army and other law enforcers to encourage them to effectively tackle the situation and save people from coronavirus infection.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net