Engaging one organisation in buying vaccines ‘suicidal’: Fakhrul

Raising concerns over the jabs crisis in the country, BNP on Monday said the government's decision to procure it by a single organisation from a single source was 'suicidal' move, reports UNB.

"Our standing committee has expressed grave concern and anger over the shortage of vaccines against Covid-19 due to failure of and corruption by the government and importer Beximco Group," said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a virtual press conference to convey the decisions of the party standing committee meeting held on Saturday, he said, "BNP warned earlier that the decision of giving the responsibility to a single organisation to collect vaccines from a single source could be suicidal."

He also said the government has committed a criminal offence by giving a pro-ruling party business organisation the responsibility to procure the vaccine without thinking about the interests of people. "They (govt) will have to face trial in the future for this criminal act."

Fakhrul also said their party thinks the government should quit for committing the crime over the vaccine procurement and its failure to ensure the jabs for people. "Amid such a big global pandemic and catastrophe, the government is just making wrong decisions, and the financial relation is behind all this. As a result, people are now not getting the vaccine."

The BNP leader said the country needs to attain herd immunity by vaccinating 125 million people. "But the government has put the entire nation in danger with its incompetence, failure, corruption and profit-making mentality."

He said though the Serum Institute of India was paid Taka 10.5 million vaccine in advance, the country has so far received 7 million jabs only.

Fakhrul said the government has stopped giving the first dose of vaccine as the Serum Institute expressed unwillingness to provide the rest of the vaccine jabs due to the Indian government's ban on vaccine export.

He said their standing committee thinks the government should reach an understanding with the Indian government for getting the vaccine as per the agreement and payment.

Fakhrul said the government also can take legal action at the international level if it fails to reach a negotiation with the Indian government and Serum Institute over receiving the vaccine.