Mayor Khokon trying to hide graft under dengue rumour remarks: Menon

Dhaka South Mayor Md Sayeed Khokon has described reports of dengue as “rumours” to hide ‘corruption and inefficiency’, Rashed Khan Menon has said.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 26 July 2019, 08:05 PM
Updated : 26 July 2019, 08:05 PM

The president of the ruling Awami League’s ally the Workers’ Party made the allegation at the launch of a Juba Maitree campaign to raise awareness against the mosquito-borne fever in Dhaka on Friday.

“The mayor of the south has described the news of dengue as ‘rumours’ to conceal corruption and incompetence in procurement of insecticides,” he said.

“And the health minister (Zahid Maleque) compared the rate of fatal dengue cases with death tolls in the neighbouring countries. It appears that deaths of the people of this country mean nothing to him,” added Menon, a former minister.

He also slated the government saying different ministers were giving conflicting claims about the dengue outbreak.

“The LGRD minister (Tazul Islam) has defended the effectiveness of the mosquito repellents while the road transport and bridges minister (Obaidul Quader) and the finance minister (AHM Mustafa Kamal) have expressed concerns,” Menon said.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, more than 9,500 people have been affected by dengue so far this year, including a record 6,500 in July.

Mayor Khokon on Thursday told a programme that conspirators were spreading rumours about dengue, just the way they spread ‘child abduction’ rumours throughout the country.