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TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020
THE DAILY STAR/ANN - Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yes-
terday said the government was
trying to reopen some sectors
gradually so that the poor could
earn their livelihoods.
“We’re trying to reopen some
[sectors] gradually. We’re taking
measures so that people can earn
their livelihoods because this is the
holy month of Ramadhan,” she said
while receiving donations for her
relief and welfare fund.
Over 55 government, private
organisations, and educational in-
stitutions gave donations to the
Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare
Fund to help the poor affected by
COVID19 fallout.
The Prime Minister said, “We
know people are suffering a lot.
We’ve been trying our best to reach
them food on their doorsteps.”
“Since the paddy of this season
has almost been harvested, people
are not supposed to suffer that
much (from food shortage), she
said, calling upon farmers who got
huge paddy to stand by the poor
during this crisis.
Noting that the country’s econ-
omy has been badly affected by
COVID19 pandemic, Hasina said
the people who worked as labour-
ers lost their work.
“Many people have become
jobless in our country. It’s dificult
for them to make a living, though
we’ve been trying our best to help
them,” she said.
Referring to huge rice produc-
tion this season, the Prime Minister
said there was no scarcity of food,
and the government was distribut-
ing rice massively in the country.
She thanked the activists of Awa-
mi League and its associate bod-
ies - Bangladesh Chhatra League,
Jubo League, Krishak League,
and Swechchasebok League -
for joining farmers in harvesting
their paddy.
Hasina said the sign of a possible
worldwide famine caused by corona-
virus outbreak was now visible.
“So, the government has paid
special attention to ensuring food
security at least for the country’s
people at this tough time.”
She reiterated her call to
people not to keep an inch of
the land uncultivated.
Hasina said she has asked the
agricultural minister to take steps for
continuing production of different
types of crops and vegetables across
the country to ensure food security
so that famine could never be seen in
Some sectors
reopening in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, and the country could
help others, if necessary.
Talkingabout poverty reduction,
she said the government gained a
massive success in alleviating pov-
erty. It had been expected that Ban-
gladesh would be a poverty-free
country during the celebration of
Mujib Borsha and the golden jubi-
lee of the country’s independence
in 2021, she said.
But coronavirus has come as
a big blow and hindered it (the
progress in poverty reduction),
Hasina said expressing the hope
that Bangladesh would go for-
ward overcoming this obstacle as
well in the future.
Trainees work at Snowtex garment factory in Dhamrai, near Dhaka, Bangladesh. PHOTO: AP
A sales representative arranges clothes on display at a shop following
a limited opening of shopping malls during a government-imposed
lockdown in Dhaka. PHOTO: AFP