DHAKA, Aug 2, 2021 (BSS) - Taking a swipe at BNP’s criticism about the vaccine issue, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the government has announced to provide vaccines massively after taking a roadmap.
 
“BNP is trying to spread confusion among the countrymen like the past about the vaccine issue. But the government has declared to provide vaccines massively in line with a roadmap,” he told reporters at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat in the capital.
 
The minister said BNP leaders have always spread confusion about the vaccines. “Even, they (BNP) also spread rumours about the vaccine of AstraZeneca, manufactured by Serum Institute, which is successful one (vaccine) as per the research”, he added.

“They (BNP) said that the vaccine will be harmful for health. But, later, they took the vaccine (AstraZeneca). So, they are giving such statements to create confusion among the people like in the past,” said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
 
He said it is never appropriate to create confusion among the common people as responsible political party leaders or as secretary general of a big political party.
 
Replying to another query over a comment of Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury over the death rate issue, he said everyone knows that the delta variant of Coronavirus has been spread over 100 countries across the globe. The variant has also been spread in those countries where about 80 percent people became under vaccination, he added.
He said health code has been imposed again in those countries and regions where everything was opened earlier. “He (Zafrullah) knows all these things. But he is giving such statements to create confusion among the masses,” he added.

Hasan said the government has made every effort in dealing with the COVID19 epidemic from the very beginning. “And for this, we have been able to combat the first wave of COVID19 under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Now, we are dealing with the second wave of the virus with utmost efforts,” he added.
 
The minister said mass vaccination has been started and the government has declared that about 10 crore dosage vaccines would be brought within the year. If possible, one crore people will be brought under the vaccination in every month, he added.
 
Replying to another query on opening the garment sector, the minister said a demand has been raised on behalf of the businessmen to the government. And the decision did not come from any individual or secretary, he said, adding that it is a government decision.

However, he said, the owners of garment factories said that they would start with all the workers stationed in or around Dhaka. But some garment owners have deviated from it and they called the labourers who were out of Dhaka, he added.

He said everyone should keep in mind that the country’s economy is mostly dependent on the garment sector as 80 percent of export income comes from the sector. “It is a very sensitive sector. The orders are cancelled, if the delivery is not made on time or one week later. The country is likely to fall into economic risk if it is widespread. It is not the interest of businessmen, it is the interest of the state,” he added.
 
About IPTV, Hasan said the government didn’t approve any IPTV till now. “We sought applications to provide registrations. About 600 applications have been received till now. We will give registrations to some IPTV within this month after scrutinizing. You all know that, as per the policy, no IPTV can serve news,” he added.