Bangladesh making every effort to bring coronavirus vaccine quickly: Hasina

Bangladesh is doing everything in its power to import the COVID-19 vaccine and the frontline workers in the fight against the pandemic will be prioritised for the doses, Sheikh Hasina has said.

"The infection rate and death toll (from COVID-19) in Bangladesh are still quite low. We’re trying our best to keep the pandemic under control,” the prime minister said in a televised speech to the nation on the second anniversary of the current Awami League government on Thursday.

“It gives hope that several countries have begun vaccination campaigns against COVID-19. We're also trying everything to bring the vaccines to Bangladesh swiftly,” she told the citizens.   

Hasina thanked the frontline workers, including the doctors, health workers, law enforcers, members of the armed forces and field-level workers of the administration, for battling the pandemic courageously.

The Awami League chief said the party and its associated organisations, including Chhatra League, along with the people from all spheres of life have come forward to help the destitute people who were affected by the pandemic crisis.

“I thank them all. I pray for those lost in the pandemic."

The premier also thanked the people for supporting the government in tackling the disaster caused by the pandemic that has upended the economy of Bangladesh and other countries across the globe.

She highlighted her government’s efforts to keep the economy running, especially by providing stimulus packages worth Tk 1.21 trillion, which is equivalent to 4.3 percent of the GDP.

“We’re still continuing the process to provide incentives, especially for the people from marginal groups. We’ve expanded the scopes of the social safety net.”

The national GDP growth was 5.24 percent in the last fiscal year and the expected growth in the current fiscal year is 7.4 percent, the prime minister said.

Several international organisations also forecast Bangladesh to top the list of South Asian countries with robust GDP growth while the IMF placed the country in the third position among the top growing economies of 2020, she said.

The government plans to make Bangladesh an upper middle-income country by 2031 and elevate it to the high-income group by 2041, the prime minister said. She mentioned the roadmap to reach the goal which includes a two-phase plan – Vision 2021 and Vision 2041.

The country’s economy has been moving in the right direction despite the coronavirus pandemic setback, said the prime minister.

“We could translate our long-nurtured dream into reality by installing the final span of the Padma Bridge in December, the month of our victory, to connect the 21 southern districts with Dhaka and other parts of the country.” Almost 82 percent of the construction of the bridge is complete, she added.

Hasina also highlighted the other mega projects of her government that made enough progress including the Dhaka Metro Rail, Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and Bangabandhu Tunnel under the Karnaphuli river.

The government has been working to ensure peaceful repatriation of 1.1 million Rohingya, most of whom fled to Bangladesh following a 2017 military crackdown on the ethnic minority group in their homeland Myanmar.

It has arranged better housing and other facilities for 100,000 refugees in the Bhasan Char island to ease the pressure on the densely populated camps in Cox’s Bazar. “Only those willing to move to Bhasan Char are being shifted there,” she reassured the international community, urging them to take more effective measures to ensure the repatriation.

She paid her respects to founder of the Awami League Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, founding general secretary Shamsul Huq and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.

Hasina also paid respects to Liberation War martyrs and the four national leaders – Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, M Mansur Ali and AHM Kamruzzaman.

Bangladesh will celebrate the golden jubilee of its independence this year. The country achieved its independence following a 24-year political struggle and a nine-month Liberation War led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she recalled.

She described the assassins and masterminds of the 1975 massacre of Bangabandhu’s family as the anti-liberation force that halted the rebuilding and growth of a war-torn Bangladesh.

“People had witnessed a series of conspiracies, distortion of history and lack of democracy (following the killing of Bangabandhu).”

On her return home in 1981 after six years in exile following Bangabandhu’s killing, she said, she devoted herself to the struggle to restore democracy and basic rights of the people.

“Bangladesh Awami League formed government after 21 years in 1996. We took the responsibility to uphold Bangladesh as a self-respecting nation,” said Hasina as her government enters the third year of their third consecutive term.

Bangladesh has achieved tremendous success in the socio-economic and infrastructure sectors during the Awami League government, she said.

Her government is determined to remove any obstacle in the way of development, and therefore, has no tolerance for corruption, said the prime minister. “A corrupt person will never be spared for their political affiliation.”

The government has extended the celebration of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu to Dec 16, 2016 she said adding that the UNESCO has introduced an award for creative economics honouring Bangabandhu.

Hasina also said the government will celebrate the golden jubilee of the country’s independence with much fanfare once the coronavirus pandemic ebbs.

The prime minister urged everyone to move forward in building the nation, no matter if the road towards the goal is smooth or not.

“I am quoting Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from his address to the nation in 1973—

 “It is a tougher job to build a nation than to earn independence for it. We need more sacrifices, endurance and hard work for this,” she quoted from Bangabandhu’s 1973 address to the nation.

“I believe we’ll be successful to reach our goal if we work hard and fulfil our responsibilities with honesty and patriotism,” said Hasina.