Shutdown relaxed for the sake of people’s livelihood: PM Hasina

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has so far announced a total of 18 stimulus packages worth around US$11.90 billion (Tk 101,117 crore) to offset the shock of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on various sectors of the country.

With the latest and 18th stimulus package of Tk 20 billion for the programme for generating employments through Palli Sanchay Bank, Karmasangsthan Bank, Probashi Kalyan Bank and PKSF, the overall announced stimulus packages worth around $11.90 billion, equalled to 3.6 per cent of the GDP.

Out of these 18 stimulus packages, the prime minister earlier had announced the highest stimulus package of Tk 300 billion for providing working capital facility to the affected industries and services sector organisations, followed by Tk 200 billion stimulus package for providing working capital to the small (including cottage industries) and medium industrial enterprises.

The other stimulus packages announced by prime minister Sheikh Hasina are special fund for the export-oriented industries with Tk 50 billion, expanding the facilities of Export Development Fund (EDF) introduced by Bangladesh Bank with Tk 127.5 billion, Pre-Shipment Credit Refinance Scheme with Tk 50 billion, special honorarium for the physicians, nurses and health workers with Tk 1 billion, health insurance and life insurance with Tk 7.5 billion and free distribution of food materials with Tk 25.03 billion.

The other stimulus packages announced so far by the prime minister are agriculture subsidy with Tk 95 billion, agriculture refinancing scheme with Tk 50 billion, refinancing scheme for the low-income professional farmers and small businessmen with Tk 30 billion, selling rice at Tk 10 per kg with Tk 2.51 billion, distributing cash among the target-based communities with Tk 12.58 billion, expanding the coverage of allowance programme with Tk 8.15 billion, building houses for the homeless people with Tk 21.3 billion, Boro rice/paddy purchase operation (additional 200,000 tonnes) with Tk 8.6 billion, and mechanisation of agriculture works with Tk 2 billion.

The prime minister said the government has taken steps to save lives of the people and ensure their treatment facilities by combating the coronavirus in one hand, while it is continuing relief assistance for the people in a planned way, on the other hand.

“I’m inquiring round the clock about relief distribution up to the remote areas,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the well-off people have come forward alongside the government to extend support to the distressed people in this perilous time.

“The relief goods are also being disbursed on behalf of our party so that none suffer for want of food and treatment,” she said.

In this connection, the prime minister reiterated her call to the countrymen to keep confidence and mental strength and stay ready to face any situation.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has relaxed the nationwide shutdown over the COVID-19 pandemic to some extent for the sake of the livelihood of the people.

“Though the infection rate might increase slightly for relaxing the restrictions, I hope we’ll be able to bring it under control,” she said.

“If we compare with the developed countries, our healthcare services showed adequate efficiency. That’s why we’ve been able to keep the disease under control to a large extent,” she said.

The prime minister urged all to follow the health codes properly to protect themselves from the COVID-19.

“We’re trying our best to protect the people from the lethal disease and calling upon them to follow the health codes,” she said and thanked them for responding to the call and maintaining the instructions.

The prime minister urged the people not to always wear masks, saying that they have to use it when they go out of home. “Wearing masks round the clock is harmful for lungs as it obstructs supply of oxygen,” she said.

Referring to the much-talked about N95 mask, she said this mask is not for the use of the general people. “This mask is for those who provide services to COVID-19 patients,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina also thanked the health workers, including physicians and nurses, officials of the administration, the members of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, saying that they have been working round the clock by risking their lives to contain the disease.

The prime minister once again asked all concerned to make sure that no single inch of land across the country remains fallowed to effectively fight the possible famine due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’ve fertile land and hard-working people and we’ve to utilise those to boost food production… we’ve to produce crops keeping in mind that we can help other countries after meeting our own demand,” she said.

In this regard, Sheikh Hasina said she has already asked the agriculture ministry to take initiatives and accordingly they have taken proper measures.

She said the leaders and workers of Awami League, Krishak League, Jubo League, Swechhasebak League and Chhatra League have stood beside the framers alongside the administration and law enforcement agencies to harvest their paddy.

PM’s principal secretary Ahmad Kaikaus moderated the videoconference at Ganabhaban and made a presentation on the cash support programme.

While inaugurating the distribution of stipend and tuition fees from her education assistance trust fund among the students of bachelor and its equivalent degree, the prime minister elaborated her government’s various steps for the development of education sector.

“We’ve given the highest importance to education as educated nation is required to build a poverty-free nation,” she said, adding the government has taken steps to reach education to the people’s doorsteps.

Through the mobile and online banking, stipend and tuition fee of Tk 111,40,43,800 will be disbursed among 209,674 students of bachelor degree and its equivalent level of 2019 academic year.

Education minister Dipu Moni joined the videoconference from her ministry, while deputy minister for education Mohibul Hasan Nowfel was present at the ministry.

The prime minister later exchanged views with the beneficiaries of the cash assistance of Barguna, Shariatpur, Sunamganj and Lalmoniraht districts through videoconference.